CCC ROV Team Competes in International Competition
Clatsop Community College
1653 Jerome, Astoria OR 97103
For immediate release
Contact: Pat Keefe (503) 338-2434
CCC ROV Team Competes in International Competition
Clatsop Community College returned again this year to compete in the
2007 International MATE ROV Competition held June 22-24 at the Marine
Institute
of Memorial University and the National Research Council’s Institute
for Ocean Technology in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador,
Canada.
The CCC team comprised of students Curtis McBride, Jarrod Jackson and Joe
Rorex, who took time out of their busy class schedules to design and build
the ROV (Remotely
Operated Vehicle). With only three students, they were the smallest team to compete,
and only two were able to make the long trip to St. John’s.
CCC received the “Guts & Glory” award in the Explorer class for
overcoming significant obstacles to compete in the competition. Some of those
obstacles included travel and financial issues that the team was able to successfully
work through. As part of this award the students were given an underwater camera
system and a $100 gift certificate. They also received praise from the judges
for building virtually every component of their ROV from scratch, including their
computer software interface and their electronic motor controllers. They placed
Ninth overall in the Explorer class of the competition.
An ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) is an underwater robot used to perform industrial,
scientific, exploration and military tasks. The competition took place in world
class facilities. Three specialized tanks were used to simulate real world conditions;
a Flume Tank (with current), an Ice Tank (with a layer of ice on top); and a
Tow Tank (with waves). Teams performed missions involving collecting samples,
replacing a gasket in a simulated well head, threading a messenger line through
a buoy anchor ring and other tasks.
The CCC ROV team was lead by math instructor Nicholas Stewart and physics instructor
Pat Keefe. The CCC ROVE team is just one aspect of the high quality science and
engineering-related offerings available at CCC.
ATTACHED IMAGE: CCC students Jarrod Jackson (left), Joe Rorex (center) and
Curtis McBride (right) designed and built a Remotely Operated Vehicle for the
2007 international
competition held in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada.