The business-oriented approach is very clever. I would imagine you are able to tap into entrepreneurial-minded students as well as STEM minded students. It would be exciting the see how the competition worked out with remote competitors. That in itself is another engineering challenge!

Hi Jennifer,

Thank you - and indeed it will be!  We did test out broadcasting our livestream from a MATE regional event into our VR (AltSpace) World on May 1st.  It was interesting (and a little weird!) to be on the pool deck and in the space as an avatar watching a video of myself on the pool deck.  We're going to ramp that up for the 2021 MATE World Championship in-person event, which is taking place August 5-7 on the campus of East Tennessee State University.  I hope that you'll tune in!

Jill

Hello all,

Thank you for taking the time to explore how the MATE ROV Competition is EXCITING - EDUCATING - and EMPOWERING students from around the globe to engineer solutions to global problems - from remediating the impact of plastic pollution in our oceans to maintaining healthy waterways. 

While COVID-19 challenged us, it also inspired us to think differently and to reimagine what the competition will look like this season.  In addition to an in-person event with social distancing and mask-wearing protocols in place, we are allowing students to compete via "telepresence" where they submit their required materials and videos of their underwater robots in operation to us for evaluation.  We've also worked with our partners at the National Center for Autonomous Technologies to create the MATE ROV Competition VR World in AltSpace as a way to facilitate the social interaction and peer-to-peer networking that we know students appreciate and value about the MATE competition and are especially craving during this pandemic.

Again, thank you for taking the time to learn more - go ahead and dive in!  

Jill

I remember judging a MATE competition in American Samoa - just the business presentations. The business plan section allowed the students to infuse their culture into the science process and bring it totally into their world and dreams. The singing parts blew us away. I was ready to buy into one company without even seeing how their actual ROV did. And given the Tik Tok world they live in, can see how this may carry on in the future as part of a business presentation.

Hi Mark,

Thank you for supporting the newly "minted" MATE American Samoa Regional ROV Competition!  I agree - and we are looking at ways to transform the marketing (poster) display into a "digital" marketing piece. The students and faculty who we are working with at East Tennessee State University are helping us to envision and spec that out.  You may see it in next year's competition manuals!

Jill

The MATE competition continues to serve as an inspirational entry point for students of all backgrounds. Kudos!

The MATE ROV competition has grown over the years and appears to contiue to grow.  Can you give us some numbers of teams, etc. How is it done at the local level?  What are your metrics for success?  What data do you have on impact on student success?  

Fantastic video! Good Job!

Jennifer - what a great video and program, I was involved with MATE when I taught science in Alaska almost a decade ago and so great to see that it is alive, well and growing.  Currently my STEM work is more international, working with schools and institutions in Uzbekistan to help them develop and expand STEM for all in their schools.   It looks like from the video that there is a strong international component and I'd love to see if perhaps MATE could take root in Central Asia.  Any chance that you could connect me with someone to talk with about possibilities?   For covid times I am a STEM educator in Burlington, VT - but still very connected with UZB and anxiously awaiting new opportunities for international collaborations.  

Great to see that you are still up to wonderful things. Hope you have a wonderful summer of engagement!

Well done MATE II!

MATE sounds exciting! Robots underwater! And the level of student engagement and creativity is inspiring! thank you!

What a powerful combination of software (e.g. AI) and hardware (e.g. machine learning). This type of technology can be designed to address many potential issues such as navy to repair submarine, assess ocean floor and coral reef damage due to the climate change, pollution, etc.

Great video, Jill! What a wonderful way to engage students in learning.

Janice Walker, NCyTE Center

Jill, love the focus on the fast-pace of the competition to simulate real-work life experiences in a STEM-dominated workplace.  

So happy the MATE competitions are still going strong! I know from firsthand experience how empowering this experience can be for students (and teachers) from back in the days when I helped coordinate it at the aquarium. It's such a great real-world application of STEM and invigorates kids who wouldn't typically get involved in these activities. I keep trying to get an ROV club going at my kids tiny school in NH. They even have a pond they could practice in! 

Keep up the good work Jill and team!