On the 27 and 28 of January 2018, the IDEAS Hub at Dover Campus collaborated with Hong Kong City University (City U ROV team) to offer two underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) workshops, Mini ROV and Basic ROV. In these workshops, students from across Singapore came together to learn how to to create robots that can operate in the water.
The idea for the workshops was suggested by Philip Woodhead, a UWCSEA alumni and a marine conservation consultant. He works very closely with the students at the Hong Kong City University Robotics Club. The university students are keen competitors at many robotics competitions in particular the MATE Competitions (Marine Advanced Technology Education) which are held both regionally and in the United States.
For the Mini ROV workshop Primary School students had the chance to build their own miniature underwater ROV, which is about the size of a hand. The workshop served as an introduction to ROV. The students connected the wires using solder and soldering irons under the supervision of the City U ROV team.
The Basic ROV workshop provided the basic foundation for students to understand how ROVs operate and the real world applications of the ROV technology. The City U ROV team taught the students how to construct and build two underwater ROVs. The knowledge gained from this workshop can be used for the MATE Competition and for scientific research that can be integrated with their science courses or projects.
Once they completed the robots, the students tested out their ROVs at the swimming pool on the Dover Campus. It was a very fun experience for them as most of them had never experienced operating their own robot before.
Overall, the students greatly enjoyed the workshops. It was also a good platform for UWCSEA and local Singaporean school students to learn from each other through robotics. The hope is that the workshops inspire students to innovate for a more sustainable world through the conservation of the marine ecosystem.
The IDEAS Hub at UWCSEA Dover Campus aims to provide a place that inspires and supports our community to explore, innovate, collaborate and create sustainable solutions to shape a better world.
The IDEAS Hub is open to the public, Monday – Saturday, 2 – 6pm. Find out more at the IDEAS Hub website.
