This year’s competition was based on oil spills and the four tasks assigned to these small-scale ROVs must simulate what real life ROVs would do. An example of a task is the capping of an oil well, which involves using one of the ROVs claws to carry the cap and cover an apparatus. The St. James’ ROV team has named their robot El Capitano.

Since January, these industrious students have spent a great deal of their spare time in the classroom and at the local swimming pool building to test their robot and their project. This project was completely extracurricular and the students, as well as Ms Hillard, are to be commended for voluntarily participating in this highly educational undertaking.

I had the opportunity to meet with the students and view their work on Saturday, and was very impressed by their intelligence, their creativity, and their enthusiasm. They totally enjoyed the competition and were looking forward also to a tour of the simulator at the Marine Institute.