This
summer MacArtney UK Ltd. sponsored one of the first UK based entries to qualify
for the MATE ROV competition in the United States.
MacArtney
UK Ltd. has provided a range of underwater connectors to an inspiring
student-led team from the University of Sheffield. Avalon Underwater Robotics
is the first entry from England to qualify for the prestigious MATE ROV
competition.
Established
in 2001 the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Centre, working in
partnership with the Marine Technology Society’s ROV Committee, created the
MATE ROV competition. Seventeen years later, the competition is stronger than ever,
and the student-led teams, faced with real-world problems to solve, must hone
their critical thinking, collaboration, entrepreneurial and innovation skills.
This
year’s MATE ROV competition is in collaboration with the Eastman Foundation and
the ‘Good for Good’ initiative who are hoping to find an ROV and crew that can
operate in the freshwater environments of Boone Lake, Tennessee. Specific tasks
will include ensuring public safety with regard to the Boone Hydroelectric Dam,
maintaining healthy waterways through the monitoring of water quality and
preserving history through the recovery of Civil War-era UXO. Before the launch
and operations, each team must complete Explorer, Ranger, Navigator and Scout
challenges.
The
first team from England to qualify for the prestigious MATE ROV competition, Avalon
Underwater Robotics, comprises of 17 multidisciplinary students from the
Faculty of Engineering. Representing Mechanical Engineering, Automatic Control
and Systems Engineering, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Aerospace,
Computer Science and Bio-engineering the team travelled to the USA to
participate in a series of challenges designed to test their collective
ingenuity. Commenting on the impact of the competition the Avalon Underwater
Robotics Team stated,
“The future of this planet
depends on us: from climate change to big underwater discoveries, ROVs are
shaping the future. Thanks to the tremendous help of MacArtney, we are participating
in the international MATE ROV competition. Our innovative designs can act in
real-world scenarios and improve thousands of lives. The future is now!”
Supporting the Avalon team
Andy Smith, UK Sales Director echoed,
“Supporting young minds to shape
the future through innovative design can have a huge impact. MacArtney has
always valued innovation and collaboration as cornerstones of our business. The
scope and versatility of our product lines can have a far-reaching impact, and
we are happy to support the Avalon team in their endeavour to seize the day and
look to the future”.
The MacArtney Group work
across the globe to support ocean space institutes and industries, providing
innovative integrated systems and custom solutions.
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