The SeaPerch subaqueous robot serves as a well-received educational tool for learners in grades 5 through 12. Constructing and maneuvering SeaPerch, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), necessitates various manual fabrication techniques, electronic skills, and STEM principles. Through the SeaPerch initiative, instructors and students delve into structures, electronics, and underwater mechanics.
“SeaPerch has significantly influenced the realms of ocean science and engineering,” asserts Andrew Bennett ’85, PhD ’97, MIT SeaGrant education administrator and senior lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (MechE).
The initial SeaPerch initiative was initiated by MIT Sea Grant in 2003. In the subsequent years, it rapidly expanded nationally and internationally, fostering a dynamic community of creators. Currently, under the guidance of RoboNation, SeaPerch continues to flourish with competitions globally. These contests present demanding real-world challenges to stimulate inventive solutions. Recent themes have encompassed deep-sea mining and gathering data on hydrothermal vents.
SeaPerch II, which has been under development at MIT Sea Grant since 2021, enhances the original program by integrating robotics and components of marine and climate science. It continues to be a “do-it-yourself” maker project with aims that are attainable by middle and high school students. Bennett expresses hope that SeaPerch II will create an even broader influence by presenting an accessible pathway to learn more about sensors, robotics, climate science, and additional topics.
“What I find most advantageous about it is that it utilizes hardware store materials that must be cut, waterproofed, assembled, soldered, or otherwise processed before being integrated into the robot or controller,” states Diane Brancazio ME ’90, K-12 maker team leader for the MIT Edgerton Center, who co-leads the MIT SeaPerch project alongside Bennett. “[It’s] somewhat akin to baking a cake from scratch, rather than from a premixed batter — you understand what contributes to the final product and how everything fits together.”
SeaPerch II comprises a series of modules that enable students and educators to craft educational experiences tailored to their specific needs or interests. Available components include a pressure and temperature sensing module that can be utilized independently; an autonomy module that allows students to develop a closed-loop automatic depth control system for their SeaPerch; and a lesson module for soft robotic “fingers” that can be configured into grippers, distance sensors, and bump sensors.
The fundamental SeaPerch consists of a PVC pipe framework with three motors and a tether connected to a switch box. Throughout the construction phase, students gain insights into buoyancy, structural design, manual fabrication, and electrical circuits. SeaPerch II employs technologies that are more advanced, cost-effective, and accessible than those available when SeaPerch was initially introduced. Bennett states that SeaPerch II aims to enhance the original SeaPerch initiative without disregarding any of the existing components.
Teagan Sullivan, a third-year mechanical engineering student, first became engaged with the project in January 2023 through an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program project with MIT Sea Grant. Initially, she furthered the development of the soft robotics segment of the project, later shifting to a more general emphasis where she focused on designing the frame for SeaPerch II, ensuring compatibility of components and maintaining stability. Subsequently, she assisted in conducting outreach programs, gathering feedback from the students she collaborated with to refine designs and enhance their “robustness and child-friendliness.”
“I have been able to observe the impact of SeaPerch II on a smaller scale by directly working with students,” Sullivan remarks. “I have witnessed how it fosters creativity and teaches children that teamwork is the most effective path to achievement. SeaPerch II covers the fundamentals of electronics, coding, and manufacturing; however, its greatest strength lies in its ability to challenge individuals’ thinking and promote critical analysis.”
The team envisions creating opportunities for youth to participate in genuine scientific inquiries and engineering challenges, nurturing a passion for engineering, science, and the aquatic ecosystem. MIT Sea Grant is persistently advancing new SeaPerch II modules, including features for land-water communication, salinity and dissolved oxygen sensors, and fluorometers.
Sullivan expresses hope that the program will reach a broader audience of students and inspire them to develop an interest in engineering while imparting the skills necessary for them to become the next generation of problem-solvers. Brancazio also states her aspiration for this project to motivate and equip young individuals to tackle climate change challenges.
“Robots are designed to assist people in accomplishing tasks they otherwise couldn’t complete,” Brancazio concludes. “SeaPerch is a robot with a purpose.”