First Test Sea Perch ROV

I had a chance to test our our new, larger Sea Perch ROV this June in Monterey, CA. The new ROV worked perfectly, able to maneuver 30 feet under the ocean in a protected area of the Monterey Breakwater. We were hoping to attract the attention (and video) of all the curious sea lions in the area, but they were just too quick.

Next test, we'll use a color video camera and add an underwater hydrophone to record sthe sounds of the sea. It will be exciting with our 4-H group gets back together and we can take these ROV's to Bodega Bay and beyond.

ROV's In Action - Responding to the Gulf Oil Spill

While our 4-H kids are working on understanding robotics and underwater remote vehicles and how they are used in the environment, unfortunately a real life application is playing out in the Gulf of Mexico. Here are some real-life ROV's in action as they attempt to access and contain the damage to underwater pipes 5,000 feet below sea level.




Update: BP Provides Live Video from underwater pipe leak.

"ROV In A Box" A Big Hit at 4-H Chicken-que

The Two Rock 4-H Club Primary SET Robotics group participated in the annual 4-H Chicken-que in Santa Rosa, CA. The ROV-in-a-Box Project Kit, created by Nventivity, was a big hit as the 4-H kids were enthusiastic to explain how ROV's work and show off their own ROV projects. We were able to showcase all our recent activites, including the Hexbugs, Tamiya Mechanical Walkers, Scribbler Robot (that was misbehaving) and ROV's. The merits of 4-H were prevalent as the the kids did all the interaction with the public and were enthusiastic to share their knowledge of robotics.

New Grant for Two Rock 4-H SET Project

Judy Ludovise, Sonoma County 4-H YDP Representative informed me that the Two Rock 4-H Primary SET project has received $1,400.00 in State funding for use on our robotics projects and a 4-H Primary Science Field Day to be held in October 2010.

This is great news, as it means that we'll be able to do more robotics projects as a group, and show other 4-H clubs what we have accomplished.

Meeting #4

On our fourth meeting of the Two Rock 4-H Club SET Robotics project, we took our creativity underwater by building our first underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROV). Modeled after the Marine Advanced Technology Education Center (MATE) "ROV in a box", our mini ROV's were made of PVC tubing, small electrical motors and a control box.

The kids had a great time looking at the minimal instructions that were provided and building the ROV as shown in the photos. We learned about buoyancy and the importance of properly weighting an underwater craft so it can efficiently move. We also learned about propulsion, and the need to mount motors correctly so the craft moves in a predictable way.

Meeting #3

Our third meeting for the Two Rock 4-H Club Primary SET project was a lot of fun. This meeting was all about circuits, and what a circuit is and how to make one. We started off by looking at a simple circuit with a battery, wire and a light. Then we opened up our circuit kits which each of us made a circuit game. It was great fun watching the kids experience how to "test a nine volt battery" with their tongue! OK, let's not do this at home though.

The circuit kits were a great introduction to basic robot wiring and circuitry, and the kids were then ready to tackle more complicated tasks by experimenting with the Snap Circuits kit and rover. Thanks to all the parents who helped out and assisted kids in building their projects. We could not have a great SET project without all their help.

Meeting #2

We had another great meeting yesterday for the Two Rock 4-H Club Primary SET Robotics Project. Our meeting was all about motion – how robots move and how we use things like motors, gears, axels and linkages to make motion in mechanical things. To illustrate this concept for our kids, we all got Tamiya Robocraft Series robot animals (dogs, pigs, tigers, rabbits and kangaroos).

The mechanical walkers are great little robot kits that have many, many, small parts but are all similar in construction. Kudos to the brave parents that opted to build their kits from scratch – this was a big feat to start on the end of a Sunday but we all finished.