It was the culminating moment. We built the frames, we hooked up the wiring, we soldered, we drilled, we glued, and now it was time to launch.
Our Coyotes, grades 3 to 5, took their SeaPerch ROVs (remotely-operated vehicles) to Jacobs Pond. The batteries had been charged, the connections tested,all that was left was the “splash.”
Away they went! In all, there were 6, named things like “1890s Something Technology” and the “Swimmer 5000.” They raced, they competed, one lost a propeller (1 out of 18, so, not bad) and one dredged up a huge log with its wire by accident.
Either way, in the end, 12 young kids got to say they had built their first robot, had reached into the world of the maritime archaeologist and learned about his tools, wondering what else might be of use to him on his ROV: a robotic arm? a camera? a spotlight? They thought like scientists, and began to wonder how best they could explore the hidden world under the water’s surface.