Rogers Robotics Team Participates in Sea Perch Institute Challenge

The Robotics Team recently participated in the second year of the Sea Perch Institute Challenge. The Sea Perch Institute (SPI) is run through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant (MITSG) program, which is a new multi-year program that works with schools on advanced and multidisciplinary projects.

MITSG provides mentoring, professional development, cost sharing of supplies and materials as well as visits to MIT to tour labs and test vehicles. The students spend the year engaged in hands-on learning in “real world” situations through simulated engineering experiences in marine robotics. Students from all SPI schools convene at MIT at the end of the school year to showcase their vehicles and skills.

This year, student groups used their underwater robots for mapping, water quality analysis, recovery and capping of a simulated oil well. Four schools including Rogers High School worked progressively and cooperatively to complete their mission. The team from Rogers is the only team from Rhode Island that has been selected to participate in this program. The program is sponsored by MIT, Sea Grant MIT, and ONR. Additionally the Rogers Team is sponsored by The Newport Community School and The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE which provided both financial and technical support.