2014 MATE ROV COMPETITION: MISSION TASK AND SPECS BRIEFING
MATE Competition Philosophy
The MATE ROV competition is about student learning.
It is designed to be an event that challenges students to apply the physics, math, electronics, and
engineering skills they are learning in the classroom to solving problems from the marine workplace.
Mentors (teachers, parents, working professionals) are expected to limit their input to educational
and inspirational roles and encouraged to focus on the benefits of the learning process and not simply
on “winning” the competition.
Exploring the Great Lakes:
Shipwrecks, Sinkholes, and Conservation in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
CONTEXT
Located in northwestern Lake Huron, Thunder Bay is adjacent to one of the most treacherous stretches
of water within the Great Lakes system. Unpredictable weather, murky fog banks, sudden gales, and
rocky shoals earned the area the name “Shipwreck Alley.” To date, more than 50 shipwrecks have been
discovered within the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS). From 19th century schooners
and steamers to a modern ocean-going freighter, the shipwrecks of Thunder Bay represent a microcosm
of maritime commerce and travel on the Great Lakes.
Ice, waves, and aquatic invasive species such as zebra mussels – as well as trash and debris generated by
Homo sapiens – could potentially harm maritime heritage resources. The TBNMS is working with
scientists and conservation groups to better understand how the chemical, biological, and physical
conditions found around Thunder Bay's shipwrecks are affecting the corrosion and deterioration of
these irreplaceable archaeological sites.
In addition to shipwrecks, TBNMS is home to some unique geologic features. Sinkholes resulting from
the erosion of limestone sediments have been studied since 2001. Groundwater emerging from the
sinkholes is depleted of oxygen, enriched in inorganic carbon, is 10 times more conductive, and contains
100 times more sulfate than the surrounding late water. Microbes thrive in several sinkhole
environments. The sulfur provides fuel for chemosynthetic bacteria, which form patches of white mats
with wavy filaments, while the inorganic carbon dioxide fuels photosynthetic cyanobacteria, which form
extensive purple mats with finger-like projections.
NEED
The TBNMS staff and the scientists and conservationists who work within the sanctuary boundaries are
in need of remotely operated vehicles that can 1) explore, document, and identify an unknown
shipwreck recently discovered in sanctuary waters; 2) collect microbial samples and measure the
conductivity of the groundwater emerging from a sinkhole; and 3) remove trash and debris from the
shipwreck and surrounding area.
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DESIGN BRIEF
Below is a summary of the mission tasks organized by competition class.
EXPLORER
 SHIPWRECK
o Measure the shipwreck’s length, width, and depth
o Conduct a sonar scan of the wreck
o Create a photomosaic
o Unlock and open a container to determine the cargo
o Remove debris from a hole in the wreck
o Enter the wreck through this 75 cm x 75 cm hole
o Search for date the ship was built on an internal beam
o Retrieve a ceramic dinner plate from inside the ship to determine its home port
o Identify the ship using known parameters
 SCIENCE
o Measure the conductivity of the groundwater
o Collect a sample of a microbial mat
o Recover a sensor and deploy a new one
o Place a quadrat on the top surface of the shipwreck, count the number of zebra mussels
inside the quadrat, and estimate the total number of zebra mussels on the shipwreck
using the wreck’s dimensions
 CONSERVATION
o Remove bottles, discarded anchor lines, and a Danforth anchor with chain
RANGER
 SHIPWRECK
o Measure the shipwreck’s length, width, and depth
o Conduct a sonar scan of the wreck
o Unlock and open a container to determine the cargo
o Remove debris from a hole in the wreck
o Enter the wreck through this 60 cm x 60 cm hole
o Search for date the ship was built on an internal beam
o Retrieve a ceramic dinner plate from inside the ship to determine its home port
o Identify the ship using known parameters
 SCIENCE
o Measure the conductivity of the groundwater
o Collect a sample of a microbial mat
o Recover a sensor and deploy a new one
o Place a quadrat on the top surface of the shipwreck, count the number of zebra mussels
inside the quadrat, and estimate the total number of zebra mussels on the shipwreck
using the wreck’s dimensions
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
CONSERVATION
o Remove bottles and discarded anchor lines
NAVIGATOR (new in 2014 and only available at certain regionals)
 SHIPWRECK
o Conduct a sonar scan of the wreck
o Unlock and open a container to determine the cargo
o Search for the date the ship was built on the outside of the wreck
o Retrieve a ceramic dinner platter to determine the home port of the ship
o Identify the ship using known parameters
 SCIENCE
o Recover a sensor and deploy a new one
o Place a quadrat on a section of shipwreck, count the number of zebra mussels inside the
quadrat, and estimate the total number of zebra mussels on the shipwreck using the
dimensions provided
 CONSERVATION
o Remove bottles and discarded anchor lines
SCOUT
 SHIPWRECK
o Open a container and retrieve a cargo sample
o Retrieve a ceramic dinner platter to determine the home port of the ship
o Identify the ship using known parameters
 SCIENCE
o Recover a sensor and deploy a new one
 CONSERVATION
o Remove bottles
SPECS
What follows is a summary of the electrical and fluid power requirements for each competition class.
The complete design and building specifications will be included within the competition manual.
EXPLORER
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48 volts, 40 amps DC. Conversion to lower voltages must be done on the ROV, not topside.
Onboard electrical power is not permitted.
Pneumatics and hydraulics are permitted provided that the team passes the MATE Fluid Power
Safety Quiz and follows the specifications included within the competition manual.
Lasers are permitted provided that the team follows the specifications included within the
competition manual.
Camera is required.
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RANGER
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12 volts, 25 amps DC. Conversion to lower voltages is permitted topside and on the ROV.
Onboard electrical power is not permitted.
Pneumatics and hydraulics are permitted provided that the team passes the MATE Fluid Power
Safety Quiz and follows the specifications included within the competition manual.
Lasers are permitted provided that the team follows the specifications included within the
competition manual.
Camera is required.
NAVIGATOR (new in 2014 and only available at certain regionals)
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12 volts, 15 amps DC. Conversion to lower voltages is permitted topside and on the ROV.
Onboard electrical power is not permitted.
Manually-powered hydraulics and pneumatics are permitted. Pneumatic systems cannot
exceed ambient pool pressure and must follow the fluid power specifications included within
the competition manual.
Lasers are NOT permitted.
Camera is required.
SCOUT
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
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12 volts, 15 amps DC. Conversion to lower voltages is permitted topside and on the ROV.
Onboard electrical power is not permitted.
Manually-powered hydraulics and pneumatics are permitted. Pneumatic systems cannot
exceed ambient pool pressure and must follow the fluid power specifications included within
the competition manual.
Lasers are NOT permitted.
RESOURCES
Teams are permitted to use the materials of their choice provided that they are safe, will not damage or
otherwise mar the competition environment, and are within the defined design building specifications.
Re-using components built by previous team members is permitted provided that the current team
members evaluate, understand, and can explain their engineering and operation. Using or re-using
commercial components is also permitted, again provided that team members evaluate, understand,
and can explain their engineering and operation. Teams will be questioned on this extensively during
their engineering presentations.
TIME
The complete competition manual will be released on November 1, 2013; teams have from that date
until the regional events in the spring of 2014 to design and build their vehicle and prepare the
engineering and communication requirements (technical reports, engineering presentations, and poster
displays). Visit the MATE web site at www.marinetech.org or request to be added to the MATE
competition listserve to ensure a timely delivery.
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