Battlebots & Minefield Competition

Employees from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division– Ship Systems Engineering Station (NSWCCD-SSES) hosted a robot competition for students in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Club at G.W. Carver High School of Engineering and Science on March 17, 2011.

Similar to a no-holds barred steel cage wresting match, six student-built robots were placed on a classroom floor in a square made of aluminum guardrails for a three-minute battle to see which robot would come out on top. The students’ robots also competed in a Minefield Challenge where the robots were challenged with navigating through a minefield to a finish line in as little time as possible. (To watch a video of a robot successfully completing the challenge, click here)

Capt. Alexander Desroches, NSWCCD-SSES commanding officer, and Eric Smalls

discuss the building process of Eric's robot before the start of the competition.

The students used Lego Mindstorms NXT, a programmable Lego kit that utilizes sensors, motors and a Lego programming language  that allows the robots to move and interact with its environment without human interference.

Capt. Alexander Desroches watches the Battle Bots competition 

with Josie McGrath, Glenn Ward, and students from the STEM Club

Capt. Alexander Desroches along with NAVSEA Engineers talked to the students about the process of building their robots before the competition. One student told Desroches the process was “More thought than paper.” The students were still thinking about how minor tweaks and adjustments.to gain a competitive edge just minutes before the battle began with Scott Koehler, math, science and engineering teacher at GWC, spoke to the students, mentors, and guests before the battles began. “Thanks to the people at NAVSEA,” said Koehler, the STEM Club faculty sponsor. “They really kicked it up a notch this school year. They is building a lot of momentum to help sustain this great partnership forhave come here weekly to mentor our students in the STEM Club. This

many years to come.”

After the Minefields Challenge and the three-minute Battle Bots free-for-all, the students, whose robots were left incapacitated or did not to figure out what they could do to improve their robots for the next perform up to their creators standards, went back to their computers round. They showed little interest in hearing the results as they tinkered with their creations while nibbling on pizza slices – a working lunch for these future scientists and engineers.

The students now turn their attention to the upcoming 6th Annual Greater Philadelphia Sea Perch Challenge on April 16 at Drexel University. The theme for this year’s event is “Ocean Oil Disaster: Cap the Well, Save the Sea.” Students will design and build an underwater robot and compete in a simulated oil disaster capping competition. The GWC STEM Club students tested their creation in water for the first time on March 17. They will spend the next month trying to perfect their design with the help of their NSWCCD-SSES mentors.

Event featured on Channel 6 ABC and in a the Navy's WAVES news article!