The Kealakehe Intermediate School ROV team made high-tech history at last month’s regional competition in Hilo, beating the odds and placing better than its older counterparts.
The Kealakehe Intermediate School ROV team made high-tech history at last month’s regional competition in Hilo, beating the odds and placing better than its older counterparts.
The team of 11- to 14-year-old students won first place while the Kealakehe High School team took second and the Hawaii Preparatory Academy team got third. Kealakehe Intermediate proved that in a battle of underwater robots, it takes a Hawk to soar over the competition.
Six Kealakehe Intermediate students will travel next month to Florida to participate in an international competition, highlighting the role that remotely operated vehicles can play in evaluating a World War II shipwreck and the potentially hazardous material inside. They will be collaborating and competing with team members from the United States, Canada, Russia, Egypt, India, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Mexico and Scotland, said Lisa Diaz, Kealakehe Intermediate science and robotics teacher.
Kealakehe Intermediate is one of only two middle schools in the competition. That doesn’t mean the school’s ROV team is getting a break. It will have to compete against high school and college teams, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Diaz said.
The Marine Advanced Technology Education Center and Marine Technology Society coordinate the 11th annual event, held June 21 to 23 at the YMCA Aquatic and Family Center in Orlando. The competition consists of underwater mission tasks, technical reports, engineering presentations and poster displays. It strives to get students excited about science, technology, engineering and math; help them see the practical application of these subjects; and motivate them to pursue careers in STEM fields.
Sixth-grader Michael Hanano, 12, called the competition a “once in a lifetime” experience. Hanano wants to pursue a computer arts career. He looked forward to meeting students from around the world, and learn from government officials and industry professionals there to share ideas and experiences. He said robotics teaches more than how to build circuit boards; it teaches life skills like teamwork, problem solving, effective communication and time management.
The team began designing, programming and building a ROV in January. Following the regional competition, the students have been spending time working on their underwater robot after school, on the weekends and during spring break, tweaking it to make it better. They’ve also been spending countless hours holding fundraisers, such as bake sales and car washes, hoping to generate approximately $10,000 needed for travel, accommodations and meals for the six Kealakehe Intermediate students, as well as two Kealakehe High School robotic team members who are serving as mentors, Diaz said.
Roughly $6,000 in community support is still needed. The team is holding a car wash from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Big Island Harley-Davidson on the corner of Palani Road and Kuakini Highway in Kailua-Kona. It is also participating in a dining fundraiser Saturday at Panda Express in the Kona Commons shopping center, where 20 percent of participants’ purchases will go to the team if a required flier is presented. Fliers can be obtained by emailing scidiaz@gmail.com.
All donations are tax-deductible and appreciated. Kealakehe Intermediate is a federally designated, Title I low-income school. Checks payable to KIS ROV Team can be mailed to Kealakehe Intermediate, 74-5062 Onipaa Street, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740.
Call Diaz at 938-1389 for more information.