CHSE co-hosts 4th Annual Gulf Coast Regional SeaPerch Challenge

07/23/15

LSU School of Education Professor Bridgette Davis recently completed another successful year as the organizer of the Gulf Coast Regional SeaPerch Challenge, an underwater robotics competition that draws teams of middle- and high-school students from schools across the Southeast.

Thirty-three teams, totally nearly 200 students competed at the fourth-annual Challenge in April, at the Biloxi Natatorium and Michel School Gym. Hosted by the Gulf Coast Regional SeaPerch Challenge organization and the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education, the underwater robotics competition is funded by the Naval Research Laboratory at the Stennis Space Center, or NRL-SSC, detachment.

Davis serves as principal investigator and has served as director of the regional challenge for the past five years, along with her team:

· Jason R. Lee, Educational Coordinator;

· Erick Moffett, Poster Coordinator;

· David Young, Technical Coordinator, Educational Outreach for the Naval Research Lab, Stennis Center;

· Dr. Joe Calantoni, Research Physicist at the Naval Research Laboratory at the Stennis Center;

and the Naval Research Lab, which has funded the Gulf Coast Regional SeaPerch Challenge and local SeaPearch outreach for the southern region of Mississippi and the neighboring Louisiana parishes event since its inception.

Davis and her team organize the event and judges the competition of student-designed-and-built underwater remotely operated vehicles. Each team was judged on their poster presentation, how well they navigated the obstacle course, the level of finesse demonstrated in navigating the challenge course with their ROV, and the highest overall score in executing the tasks of eachcategory.

This year’s middle school winners were:

Poster:
3rd Place - Roseland Park Elementary team Aquaholics
2nd Place - Lake Castle Slidell Private School team Seabees
1st Place - Gulf Coast Contenders

Obstacle:
3rd Place - Lake Castle Slidell Private School team Seabees
2nd Place - Gulf Coast Contenders
1st Place - Lake Castle Slidell Private School team Piranha

Finesse:
3rd Place - CCHEA Homeschoolers team Aquatic Creeperz 2
2nd Place - Lake Castle Slidell Private School team Seabee
1st Place - Gulfport Team Soulfisher

Overall:
3rd Place - Gulfport Team Soulfisher
2nd Place - Gulf Coast Contenders
1st Place - Lake Castle Slidell Private School team Seabee

 

The high school teams scoring highest in these categories were: 

Poster:
3rd Place - Gulf Coast Contenders
2nd Place - Hancock High team Hawks
1st Place - Saint Paul's team Sea Wolves

Obstacle:
3rd Place - CCHEA Homeschoolers team Aquatic Creeperz
2nd Place - Oak Grove High School team 1
1st Place - Gulf Coast Contenders

Finesse:
3rd Place - CCHEA Homeschoolers team Aquatic Creeperz
2nd Place - Oak Grove High School team 1
1sp Place - Gulf Coast Contenders

Overall:
3rd Place - CCHEA Homeschoolers team Aquatic Creeperz
2nd Place - Oak Grove High School team 1
1st Place - Gulf Coast Contenders

 

The collective of middle and high school teams which received special awards were:

Video Award - Ocean Springs Upper Elementary teams Waverunners & Aquathons

Least Adjusted SeaPerch - Pine High School team iPine
Most Creative SeaPerch - Woolmarket Elementary team Ninja Turtles
Sportsmanship Award - St. Paul team Sea Wolves
T-Shirt Award - Three Rivers Elementary team Neon Sea Dolphins

The sponsors for the Gulf Coast Regional SeaPerch Challenge are the Office of Naval Research, the Naval Research Laboratory at the Stennis Space Center, the National SeaPerch organization, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International and the National Defense Education Program.

 

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