Cabrillo College’s Robotics Club recently announced their participation in the upcoming RoboSub competition, following their victory at the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) World Championship. In June, the team secured First Place in the most advanced category of the MATE competition, outperforming 29 teams from 9 countries. MATE tasks teams worldwide to design and construct a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), a tethered underwater robot, capable of performing simulated industry tasks. After three consecutive years of participation in the MATE competition, and three first place victories in their respective division, Cabrillo Robotics is ready to embark on a new challenge.
“We are incredibly grateful for our time participating in the MATE competition,” said Stephanie L’Heureux, Cabrillo Robotics President. “The experience has been invaluable, providing us with numerous technical and interpersonal skills we will carry forward into our careers as engineers. Over the years, we’ve learned to tackle complex engineering challenges by devising unique and innovative solutions, and work well as a team. Our participation in MATE has inspired us to push our limits and continuously seek new challenges and learning opportunities–-which is why we have decided to take on a new challenge this year. MATE has provided us with a solid foundation for underwater robotics, and with that knowledge, the RoboSub competition appears to be a logical next step for us.”
RoboSub is an international robotics competition in which student teams design and build Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). These AUVs complete various tasks during a live competition. The tasks mirror real-world AUV missions, such as seafloor mapping and sonar localization. Hosted by the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research, RoboSub currently takes place at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine, California. The competition challenges teams to address current marine issues with technological innovations, bringing together top universities from around the world.
Cabrillo Robotics' upcoming participation in RoboSub marks a significant step forward, as the team will now focus on developing Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). Unlike ROVs, which rely on surface control, AUVs operate independently, navigating the underwater environment without human intervention. The transition to building an AUV presents unique hardware and software challenges. The absence of a tether means the robot will require a far more complex electrical stackup. Various sensor systems including a Doppler Velocity Logger (DVL), Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), hydrophones, and stereo cameras must be integrated to support autonomous navigation. The software team has a daunting challenge ahead of them: utilizing the collected sensor data to autonomously navigate an underwater obstacle course.
Advancing to RoboSub introduces new engineering challenges, but it also significantly increases project costs. Cabrillo Robotics Treasurer, Liam Gilligan, estimates that building the AUV could require anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000. Cabrillo Robotics Club is eager to participate in next year’s RoboSub competition and is actively seeking donations and sponsors for support. To support Cabrillo Robotics Club visit the Support Us page.