National Underwater Robotics Challenge - A Competition FIRST Teams need to check out!

[Don Knight]

FIRST teams are you looking for another challenge? Are you looking to use the skills you've learned in FIRST in other competitions? Have you longed to have another robotics competition to show your "stuff"? Have you ever wanted to play in the "water"?

For the last three days it was my pleasure to be the MC/Announcer at the 2007 National Underwater Robotics Challenge. An historic event as it was the first time that an event of this nature was held in Arizona. A National event sanctioned by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the United States Navy. It also was the first underwater robotics event to broadcast "live" over the internet. Feeds were available from 8 underwater cameras, plus those on the ROV, as well as a drive crew cam.

This years Mission was:
Deep dive on a sunken WWII German submarine.

Many of the criteria that teams perform outside the primary robotics task are similar to those you already perform for you FIRST team. Oral Presentation, Technical Reports, Team Interaction, Gracious Professionalism.

Teams made up from grade school to corporate sponsored, compete with each other performing the same tasks. Teams of all ages interact with each other, providing teams members the opportunity to mentor and share their success and failures with others to continue to raise the level of the competition.

If you're interested about learning more about this exciting opportunity visit

www.h2orobots.org

Congratulations to this years National Underwater Robotics Challenge Champions : The Nifty Engineering Robotics Design Squad

Many of you know them as FIRST Team 1726 - The Nerds for Sierra Vista, AZ

For a list of all the participants, award winners, and archived video of the competition visit

www.h2orobots.org

Keep your FIRST team active all year long, branch out to other competitions with new and exciting challenges. Learn what waterproof really is!

Hope to see you at the next National Underwater Robotics Challenge!