SeaPerch State Competition at Southridge a first for county

From left: Southridge STEM team members Leah Eckert, Aaron Roecker, Austin Begle, Curtis Rohlman, and Kade Mundy. Aaron operated the Sea Perch, an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) the team built for the competition. Leah, the only girl on the team, was assisting with the ethernet cable that carries the operator commands to the vehicle as it traverses an obstacle course. This exercise required the team to drive the vehicle through a series of rings and then turn around and return to the pool side back through the rings. The team was timed and scored based on that time. — From left: Southridge STEM team members Leah Eckert, Aaron Roecker, Austin Begle, Curtis Rohlman, and Kade Mundy (Freshman Adam Welp is also on the team but not pictured here). Aaron operated the Sea Perch, an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) the team built for the competition. Leah, the only girl on the team, was assisting with the ethernet cable that carries the operator commands to the vehicle as it traverses an obstacle course. This exercise required the team to drive the vehicle through a series of rings and then turn around and return to the pool side back through the rings. The team was timed and scored based on that time.

Southridge High School’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) team performed admirably in its first swing at SeaPerch, an underwater competition sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.

A SeaPerch is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) that teams were required to build for the competition. Teams built Stock ROVs, of which the cost to build couldn’t exceed $20, and Open ROVs, which they can pour as much money as they can raise into.

In addition to the ROV, teams were required to display the scientific and engineering processes and principles they used to create their craft. These posters were then judged by a team of volunteers comprised of local school and university teachers.

Not only was this Southridge’s first foray into the competition, they also volunteered to host the regional competition in March. The organizers of the event were so impressed with how the regional competition was managed they asked if Southridge could host the state competition as well. So, over the weekend 34 teams converged on the high school pool for the state competition.

John Schneider, a liaison to Southwest and Southeast Dubois County School Corporations from Crane Surface Warfare Center, assisted in getting the Southridge STEM team involved in the competition. It is just a great competition for these kids to be involved in and they are having a great time. They loved the whole process and the competition, Schneider said.

State Representative Mark Messmer, a proponent of Crane Surface Warfare Center’s outreach into schools and communities in the region, attended the contest. He stated he was most impressed with the way the teams applied their knowledge and research skills in a real world application like the SeaPerch. “This is one area that schools seem to be lacking in. They are real good at teaching the academics, but the application of those principles is something that doesn’t happen till they reach college,” he explained.

Messmer explained he felt programs like this would help in keeping those skills in the local community. “It is much easier to keep talent here than to attempt to recruit someone from, say, the east coast.”

Southridge’s Stock ROV did not advance to state but their Open ROV made it to the second tier and competed on Saturday.

The ROVs are manipulated with a simple controller comprised of two buttons that control the craft’s vertical movement and two levers that control the horizontal movement. This is attached to the ROV by a long umbilical. Aaron Roecker was the pilot for the Southridge team for no other reason than he was able to get the most practice in on the vehicle and the new environment.

Teams were required to complete two courses. The first involved threading the ROV through a series of rings. This was made more difficult by the fact the needles were underwater and turned horizontally or vertically. Once the teams had threaded through the rings, they then had to return to the start using the same path. Scores were based on the time it took to complete the course.

For the second course, teams piloted their ROVs to an underwater rack with nylon rings hanging on hooks at different depths. The ROVs were now outfitted with various hooks and dowels to stab at the rings to knock them from their perches and then carry them to one of two buckets for deposit. Teams were given ten minutes to complete the course and were scored based on the difficulty in removing the rings and then depositing them in buckets.

On top of the difficulty in operating the vehicles underwater in a nearly frictionless environment, teams faced mechanical failures. A great run could come to a quick end and an out-of-control ROV when a propeller mount would fail or some ballast could come unattached. A propeller failure is what took the Southridge Stock ROV team out of the regional competition.

Kale Mundy, a senior at Southridge High School, was at the competition on Saturday supporting the open ROV team. He stated really enjoyed the process of designing and building the ROVs. Mundy plans on attending the University of Evansville to study engineering when he graduates.

Leah Eckert, also a senior and the only girl on the team, had a great time as well. “I hope other girls see this and want to join.”

The team finished one spot from qualifying for the SeaPerch Nationals. The top three high schools and middle schools qualified for the next competition. The top two Overall Open were also advanced; Southridge finished third in the Overall Open class.

The true impact may be felt in the long term. According to Schneider, the amount of support the teams received has inspired the volunteers and teachers to pursue creating more events similar to this. “We need to give these kids more real world experience,” Schneider explained, “and this is a great way to get them involved in science and engineering. The cheering for these kids by their fans that came to Southridge was incredible and they need to be able to experience that more often.”

The top three schools in Overall High School and Middle School as well as the top two school in the Overall Open advanced to the nationals.

Overall High School

1) Bloomington South – “Joe Ivey’s”
2) Owen Valley – “Destraus Inimicium
3) Springs Valley – “SVS Hunley”

Overall Middle School

1) St. John’s
2) Springs’s Valley “Sea Hawks”
3) West Elementary “West Marines”

Overall Open

1) Washington “Hatchet Engineers”
2) North Posey “Technoviles”[/highlight]
3) Southridge High School

Middle School Obstacle

1) St. John’s
2) West Elementary
3) Bloomfield “Sly Starfish”

High School Obstacle

1) Springs Valley “Sailfish”
2) Bloomington South “Joe Iveys”
3) Springs Valley “SVS Hunley”

Middle School Deep Water Transfer

1) St John’s
2) West Elementary
3) Springs Valley “Sea Hawks”

High School Deep Water Transfer

1) Bloomington South “Joe Iveys”
2) Owen Valley “Destraus Inimicium
3) Spring Valley “SVS Hunley”

Middle School Presentation

1) Spring Valley “Sea Hawks”
2) Bloomfield “Gnarly Narwhals”
3) Farmersville Elementary “5th Grade Boys”

High School Presentation

1) Owen Valley – Destraus Inimicium
2) Owen Valley – Hero that Gotham Deserves
3) Bloomington South – Red October