If you’re a high school student with an interest in robotics, oceanography, or climate change, then the MATE ROV Competition is a great fit for you! The MATE ROV Competition is a chance for you to showcase the application of your STEM skills to tackle real-world challenges in climate change and ocean health. Colleges are always on the lookout for students who go beyond the classroom to apply their knowledge, demonstrate problem-solving skills, and show a passion for learning.

In this blog, we detail the MATE ROV Competition and what students need to do to have a successful experience! 

What is the MATE ROV Competition?

The MATE ROV Competition is an international event that challenges you and your team to design and build an underwater robot, known as a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). What makes this competition unique is its simulation of real-world scenarios in the field of climate change and ocean conservation, requiring you to think like a scientist, engineer, and researcher.

Initiated by the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center, the competition's primary goal is to inspire and educate the next generation of marine professionals. It began as a small event but has grown into a global competition that attracts teams from various countries. As a participant, you'll gain practical experience in engineering design, electronics, robotics, and teamwork. These skills are highly valued in the professional world and can give you a significant advantage in your future career.

 Additionally, the competition fosters soft skills like communication, leadership, and project management. The MATE Center plays a crucial role in not just organizing the competition but also in supporting marine education and career development. They provide resources, workshops, and scholarships, making the competition a comprehensive educational experience.

Is it prestigious?

The MATE ROV Competition is one of the largest events in the field of marine technology, hosting no fewer than 48 regional events across 14 nations, making it a truly international affair. The competition is not just about building a robot - it embraces the UN's "10 Challenges - 10 Years - One Ocean" to challenge you to take on ocean health monitoring and improvement. The exposure the competition provides to complex engineering principles, environmental science, and the challenges of underwater exploration is important to build your skills as well as strengthen your profile as a STEM enthusiast. 

Many alumni of the competition have gone on to pursue successful careers as engineers, systems designers, rover drivers and research assistants. Some have even started their own technology ventures or joined the air force or navy.

With only 5 general awards on offer plus the competition class winner prize, the competition is highly selective relative to the number of teams that apply at the regional level. All of this means that reaching a podium finish at MATE ROV greatly enhances your profile in the eyes of admissions officers and recruiters.

Who is eligible to participate?

MATE ROV is divided into five classes catering to different academic levels as well as exposure to robotics:

• Scout: For students in elementary (grades K-4), middle (grades 5-8), and high (grades 9-12) schools.

• Navigator: For middle school students with robotics experience, high schoolers new to robotics and advanced elementary schoolers with robotics experience.

• Ranger: Recommended for middle and high school students with robotics experience.

• Pioneer: Meant for first time technical and community colleges, as well as first time four-year universities.

• Explorer: The most advanced class, recommended for universities, colleges and high schools that have previously participated in the MATE ROV Competition. 

While each class has some specific eligibility criteria that you should check on the linked pages, here are the common criteria to be able to participate:

• Students can participate in the competition as a part of a school course, after school program, club, or community organization.

• Teams can consist of students from different schools and/or grade levels. 

• Teams must have at least three students with at least one faculty member or adult mentor involved in the process. 

How is MATE ROV structured?

The competition stretches over multiple phases as follows:

• The applications are currently open and you and your team should register at the earliest.

• The first and compulsory phase of MATE ROV is the Fluid Power Quiz. Passing this quiz (with a 100% grade) is required to be able to use powered hydraulic or pneumatic tools or equipment on your ROV. You have 5 attempts to pass this quiz, and it may be attempted as a team quiz or assigned to one individual on the team. You’ll need to pay a $25 fee to take this quiz, and it must be completed with a passing grade by April 26, 2024.

• Next, you will need to participate in one of the regional challenges that accommodates the class you’re participating in. Each regional challenge will have its own participation and submission dates, and are linked on the main page.

• Should you qualify from the regional challenge you participated in, you will move on to the World Championship at the Kingsport Aquatic Center in Kingsport, Tennessee from June 20-22, 2024. This three day event is where the best teams in the world will compete for not only the grand prize of winning in their particular class, but also the Oceaneering Safety Award, the Martin Klein MATE Mariner Award, the Team Spirit Award, the Guts & Glory Award and the Harry Bohm/Jill Zande Sharkpedo Award.

While there are some slight differences in the exact task for each class, the Pioneer, Ranger and Explorer classes for example have the following task set before them:

Design and construct an operational vertical profiling float

• Prior to the competition, design and construct a vertical profiling float – 5 points

• Deploy the float into a designated area – 5 points

• Float communicates with the mission station prior to descending – 10 points

• Float completes up to two vertical profiles –

• Vertical profile 1

• Float completes first vertical profile using a buoyancy engine – 10 points

• Float communicates data to the mission station – 5 points

• Data is graphed as depth over time – 10 points

• Vertical profile 2

• Float completes a second vertical profile using a buoyancy engine – 10 points

• Float communicates data to mission station – 5 points

• Data is graphed as depth over time – 10 points

You and your team will be evaluated on the technical design and functionality of your ROV, your ability to complete the missions, teamwork, and a presentation that includes a technical report and an engineering presentation. The documentation and submission requirements are quite comprehensive, so make sure to go over the scoring criteria here. Note that you will need to submit a significant amount of supporting documents and videos even before you go to the World Championship, which you should check here.

Tips to win MATE ROV

1. Thoroughly utilize MATE’s resources: MATE has provided a vast resource bank that contains helpful information on everything from ROV kits and assembly, to marketing, to helpful tips and hacks. This is a huge library that should be your first go-to for anything MATE ROV.

2. Consider & strengthen all aspects of competition: The challenge is not just about designing your ROV. There’s a lot of preparatory work that will be required to secure funding, have a working space, steady access to a pool for testing, balancing workload and of course maintaining focus and avoiding burnout. Again, MATE has provided a lot of resources, advice and successful approaches in their database to address all of these factors. Make sure you’re not ignoring these aspects.

3. Be crystal clear on the deliverables: Unlike other, similar robotics challenges, MATE ROV does not stop at simply building and demonstrating the robot. If you go through the scoring criteria, you will see that you need to provide everything from a corporate responsibility sheet to various safety inspection documents to a marketing display. This ensures that you get exposure to each aspect of ROV design and production, and makes the overall competition more challenging.

4. Don’t ignore team dynamics: A successful team is one that communicates effectively, divides tasks wisely, and works cohesively. Especially in a competition as comprehensive and broad as this, where there are several objectives to be achieved and impossible for one person to manage alone.

5. Work with your mentor: The reason MATE insists that each team work with a dedicated mentor is because of the massive scope of the challenge and its deliverables. Your mentor can help you schedule practice sessions, guide you towards resources, keep your efforts properly focused, and help you test your work.

In conclusion, the MATE ROV Competition is an incredible opportunity for you to apply your STEM skills in a targeted field to both gain competence as well as build your profile. It's a challenging yet rewarding experience that can pave the way for your future in STEM.

Before participating in the competition, build a 1-1 project in Robotics, AI & ML with Veritas AI! 

Founded by Harvard graduate students, Veritas AI gives you the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of computer science and AI. You get a chance to work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Oxford, and more to write research papers or build unique projects. Last year, we had over 1000 students apply to do AI work with us, and our alums went on to study computer science and AI at top universities. You can find the application form here.

Image Source - MATE ROV Competition Logo