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Across Campus - A Photo Essay

The Marine Advanced Technology Education Center (MATE) uses underwater robots - also known as remotely operated vehicles or ROVs - to teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines and prepare students for technical careers. The MATE competition, pictured in this week's gallery, challenges K-12, community college and university students from all over the world to design and build ROVs to tackle missions modeled after scenarios from the ocean workplace. By Chuck Thomas

Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional ROV Underwater Robotics Competition

Ashleigh Huddleston and David Dumas carefully lower their hydraulic gripper ROV into the water.

Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional ROV Underwater Robotics Competition

Divers reset the course between rounds.

Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional ROV Underwater Robotics Competition

Senior divers from Norfolk Naval Base keep a watchful eye on the safety of the course. MARMC divers from dive team Bravo volunteered their time at the event.

Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional ROV Underwater Robotics Competition

Safety inspection judges Victoria Gormley and Renee Russell begin the inspection of Ruffner Academy’s remotely operated vehicle.

Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional ROV Underwater Robotics Competition

Every ROV must pass a 4-point safety inspection before it is allowed to enter the pool. Judges look for unsecured items, exposed wires, properly sealed components and items that could injure pool personnel. Once all of the requirements are met, the safety inspection sheet receives a stamp and the team is allowed to start the competition.

Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional ROV Underwater Robotics Competition

Ruffner Academy’s ROV starts the descent to begin the course.

Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional ROV Underwater Robotics Competition

Ruffner Academy students scramble to change the electrical connectors to their ROV. The power source and the ROV had the same connectors and therefore could not be connected.

Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional ROV Underwater Robotics Competition

Mary Grace Molynaux looks over the shoulder of Rose Bannon as she navigates their ROV using a video display to move through the course.

Ashleigh Huddleston and David Dumas carefully lower their hydraulic gripper ROV into the water.

Divers reset the course between rounds.

Senior divers from Norfolk Naval Base keep a watchful eye on the safety of the course. MARMC divers from dive team Bravo volunteered their time at the event.

Safety inspection judges Victoria Gormley and Renee Russell begin the inspection of Ruffner Academy’s remotely operated vehicle.

Every ROV must pass a 4-point safety inspection before it is allowed to enter the pool. Judges look for unsecured items, exposed wires, properly sealed components and items that could injure pool personnel. Once all of the requirements are met, the safety inspection sheet receives a stamp and the team is allowed to start the competition.

Ruffner Academy’s ROV starts the descent to begin the course.

Ruffner Academy students scramble to change the electrical connectors to their ROV. The power source and the ROV had the same connectors and therefore could not be connected.

Mary Grace Molynaux looks over the shoulder of Rose Bannon as she navigates their ROV using a video display to move through the course.

An e-newsletter published weekly for faculty and staff, InsideODU features the university's top news stories, events and notices. Produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications, it also includes links to the ODU calendar, president's blog and "ODU in the News," a compilation of stories that have appeared in the local, state and national media.

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