New video from the 2008 International ROV Competition

This is video of the Genesis ROV before the competition.

Seventh Annual International ROV Competition Scores

Here is a link to the final mission scores for the Seventh Annual International ROV Competition. The final placement of teams is decided by combining the mission scores with the Poster, and Engineering evaluations. These are the Ranger Scores. These are the Explorer class scores.

Guts and Glory

Hi Folks!
Every year at the International Competition, one team seems to find a special place in my heart. This year it was the Dalhousie Privateers from Canada. These guys spent most of the competition parked in front of the repair table. To begin with, their control box was dismantled by Homeland Security when they came across the border so they had to put that back together. Then they had camera problems. Then a wire got stuck in the seal to their Pelican box which is the box that keeps all those important electronics dry when the bot goes in the water. The box flooded, destroying the on board computer. They worked all day and through the night to re-engineer the electronics so they could put the bot in the water. When they competed on the final day, the laptop computer belonging to one of the students on the team was physically inside the Pelican box that was going underwater. They managed to earn 60 points in their final challenge. It wasn't enough for them to place in the competition but their grace under fire earned them the Explorer class Guts and Glory Award and a permanent place in my heart. They re-named their bot Liquid Death because every time it hit water it died. Clearly their sense of humor remained intact. Here is a bit of video that Lens took on the second day. My hat goes off to you guys and I hope I see you again next year!



Here is a link to more video of this team.

A Conversation on Leadership with Lisa Spence

Hi folks! The Tool Goddess here, reporting in from the 7th annual International ROV Competition being held at University of California-San Diego, and the Scrips Institution of Oceanography in San Diego California. I have had the opportunity to work with some really exceptional people. Here is an interview with someone I wish all of you could meet. Her name is Lisa Spence, and she is an engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center where she is currently working with the Constellation Program.



Vision
Patience
Communication
Passion
Credibility
Care about your people

When you first hear words like these they seem like a list and the story is about someone you admire. Words offer a vision, and it is by doing an event like the International ROV Competition that skill sets like these become a part of who you are.

The 2008 International Mission and team interviews

Hi all!

Here is a description of the missions for the 2008 internationals! This year the scenarios were build around tasks that might arise while exploring Oceanic Ridges.
I was at the repair table most of the day yesterday so my co-conspirator Lens took this video for me of some of the teams competing. I thought he did great interviews! There was no rhyme or reason for which teams got interviewed for Swimmy Thang!. It was just luck of the draw... who was on deck the day Lens got out with the camera.