CWRUbotix, Case Western Reserve University’s robotics team, won first place in the 2025 MATE ROV World Championship last month, beating 26 university teams from around the world that qualified in the Explorer class. Hosted in Alpena, Michigan, this competition challenged teams to deploy remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) underwater to attempt challenges related to maintenance of ocean observation systems and sustaining marine biodiversity.
Led by Professor Richard Bachmann, the team designed three unique devices for the competition, including the ROV named “Fried Rice,” a profiling float named “Shrimp” and a photosphere camera named “Calamari,” all of which were custom made at the Sears think[box]. The rainbow color scheme for these devices was based around the appearance of a mantis shrimp, one of the CWRUbotix team’s favorite marine animals.
To prepare for this competition, members of CWRUbotix worked tirelessly on brainstorming, designing and fabricating components for “Fried Rice,” as well as testing these components weekly at Donnell pool since last fall. The team is overjoyed that they were able to achieve first place and are excited for next year’s competition at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
To learn more about CWRUbotix, check out their website.