Club Event and MATE Competition

ROV Club Celebration Who? Shedd ROV Clubs--teachers and middle/high school students. (Parents and family can attend; however, this event is not designed for them. There are no activities, food, or space set aside for guests.) When? March 25th, 2017 Where? NEIU Athletic Center—pool and gym only!!! (Teachers will be responsible for ensuring their teams respect the space we have reserved for the event.) Why? To celebrate the accomplishments of all ROV teams participating in Shedd’s Underwater Robotics program Things to point out: This is an included part of the club program. All clubs (years 1-3) are expected to attend We will provide buses—more on how to do book buses will be covered in January. In short, teachers book the bus and have the bus company send the invoice to Shedd. We then pay it Parents and families are not encouraged to attend. They are not banned, but this event is not designed for them and there will be nothing to entertain them This event is about fun! Speak with engineers and experts in the field ROV obstacle course Meet a professional ROV pilot Try out your ROV in the pool And much more! Meet other teams

Marine Advanced Technology Education Center (MATE) MATE’s Mission Provide marine tech workforce with educated workers Create interest in and improve STEM education MATE is our partner organization http://www.marinetech.org/

Shedd and MATE Shedd partners with MATE to: Help co-create and promote STEM-centered ROV curricula Utilize many MATE-produced resources (i.e. Pufferfish Kit components) Serve as a regional host site for the ROV international competition

Shedd Midwest MATE ROV Competition Shedd is a regional MATE partner, and as such hosts a regional MATE competition. NOTE: Shedd staff and volunteers run this competition and have complete purview over it. MATE provides the “Script” At the competitions, teams are challenged to take on the role of companies to fulfill an RFP—they need to create an ROV that can accomplish themed tasks. In the past, themes have included underwater volcanoes, oil pipelines, ocean observing systems, arctic science and more.

MATE Competition

Shedd Midwest MATE ROV Competition: Product Demonstrations Ocean Observing Systems – Backbone Interface Assembly The competition has three main sections. The first is the product demonstrations. These are underwater missions the ROV must accomplish such as servicing an ocean observing system or fixing an oil pipeline. In these product demonstrations, only a small contingent of the ROV team can be on the pool deck and strict rules and time limits are in place

Shedd Midwest MATE ROV Competition Product Presentation The other two sections are: Product Presentation in which the team must present to a panel of experts (NOTE—the teams are expected to come with a presentation, not just answer questions) Marketing Display or poster All of these sections have clear guidelines detailed in the competition manual. These may change year to year and teachers and team members are responsible for reading the manual and knowing the rules/expectations. Marketing Display

Club Event vs. Competition We’d be thrilled to have your club compete in the competition, but understand clubs are just starting out which is why we offer and end of the year celebration event—just for Shedd Clubs!

Club Event vs. Competition March 25th, 2017 (attendance required) Free to attend! Lunch is provided for teachers and club members Registration is via Shedd staff Safety check-out using MATE guidelines All teams and guests must remain in the gym and/or pool MATE props will be there to practice Fun games and guest speakers Real/professional ROV present Chance for students to share the robot they have created and be recognized for their efforts Optional “prep” activities for teams interested in MATE competition Relaxed and Fun! Parents/guardians, families, and guests can attend; however, we don’t encourage it as there are no activities for them or viewing opportunities. April 29th, 2017 (optional)   No transportation provided Registration fee depending on level (this is subject to change) Lunch is provided for teachers and club members Must register on MATE website Safety check-out using MATE guidelines All teams and guests must remain in the gym and/or pool MATE Ranger product demos in deep end, Scout product demos in shallow end; Judges strictly using/following MATE judging rubric Schools from around Midwest represented Sales presentations and marketing displays in the gym Awards ceremony, top two teams invited to MATE international competition Competition atmosphere Parents/guardians, families, and guests are encouraged to attend. They can view the product demonstrations in a designated viewing area (NOTE: guests will not receive lunch!!!)