Mumbai Students To Compete In Best Robot Contest In The US

A group of engineering students from the Mukesh Patel School of Management and Engineering in Mumbai will take part in an American contest and will be displaying their state-of-the-art remote-controlled underwater robot.

The team will compete in the 13th Annual Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) International Competition in Alpena, Michigan.

The Mumbai students will be up against 66 other teams from all over the world. The team that has built a robot with the most innovative design and full functionality will win the competition.

The team from India, which calls itself Team Screwdriver, has constructed a remote-operated underwater vehicle that has a separately controlled robotic arm.
The device is equipped with a camera to capture photo and video footage. The camera will also help in guiding the vehicle and operating the arm. The device is apparently meant to be used for capturing biological samples underwater, especially off the shipwrecks.

The ROV section of the larger MATE competition has teams competing from countries like the US, the UK, Russia, Japan and Egypt.

The contest is currently in its 12th year for the underwater category. It was created to foster interest in the STEM fields by making science and engineering fun and engaging.

The MATE Center is headquartered in Monterey, California, and is funded by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Center for Excellence.

The team of Indian students will compete at Alpena’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary from June 26-28. (Image: MATE official website)