iNCRedible Engineers Coach Students for 2018 MATE International ROV Competition

by: Adam Crighton, VP Financial Services, NCR

Investing time in people and programs today that will help our innovation tomorrow is something NCR supports wholeheartedly. And when there is opportunity in our own backyard, it’s hard for us to not get involved.

For the past few months, Dundee-based NCR hardware engineers have been able to foster the education and engagement of STEM – science, technology, engineering and maths – by coaching curious Grove Academy students in underwater robotics in preparation for the 2018 Scottish MATE ROV competition. In the school’s first year of participation, its team of young engineers qualified for the international final after winning the 2018 Scottish Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Remotely Operated Robot (ROV) competition with the design and functionality of their underwater ROV.

The Grove Academy team ran the project like a business, and each student had a different role as they designed and built an underwater robot with the support of NCR hardware engineers. The ROV was controlled remotely and tested in a series of salt and fresh water missions during the competition, including locating airplane wreckage and returning its engine to the surface; installing/recovering a seismometer; and installing a tidal turbine.

The NCR mentors were able to support students exploring careers in science and technology in a safe, fun environment and will continue to work with the students as they prepare for the 2018 MATE International ROV competition in Seattle, WA, USA, June 21-23.

The students’ teacher, Jack Waghorn, shared, “Working side-by-side with NCR hardware engineers showed our students what a career in the technical field could look like. NCR gave the Grove Academy team the support and encouragement they needed to be creative in their design, problem-solving skills and execution of their ROV – and ultimately, successful in the competition!”

NCR is pleased to support Grove Academy with their ROV project, are keen to develop young talent and encourage students into careers in STEM. The students have developed a fantastic ROV and we can’t wait to hear how they fare at the final, competing against hundreds of students from 62 different schools across the globe. We will continue to partner with Grove and support this initiative next year.