Brilliance Below the Surface: Champions of the 2024 MATE ROV Competition World Championship

PRESS RELEASE 

Release Date: July 15, 2024 

Brilliance Below the Surface: Champions of the 2024 MATE ROV Competition World Championship  

Pioneering Students from Around the World Showcase Cutting-Edge Underwater Robotics Solutions 

The 22^nd MATE ROV Competition World Championship concluded on June 22, 2024, at the Kingsport Aquatic Center, celebrating the brightest minds in underwater robotics. The event, which drew participants from around the globe, showcased remarkable engineering talent and innovative solutions to real-world oceanic challenges.  
 

From June 20-22, 2024, 79 teams from 17 countries, including the USA, Canada, Scotland, Mexico, UAE, Italy, Poland, Germany, Turkey, Macau, Hong Kong, China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, France, and Uganda, competed with their meticulously designed remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). These students, mentors, coaches, volunteers, and families demonstrated extraordinary dedication and creativity in addressing the competition’s theme of ‘CREATING SOLUTIONS.’  

This year’s competition featured mission tasks such as deploying advanced ocean observing assets for data collection, installing submarine telecommunications cables, administering probiotics to heal diseased coral, identifying healthy habitats for lake sturgeon, and deploying autonomous robotics floats to monitor ocean health. The participants’ innovative approaches to these tasks exemplified the competition’s commitment to fostering real-world skills and environmental stewardship.  

“We are immensely proud of all the participants who have demonstrated not only their technical expertise but also their passion for creating solutions to critical global issues,” said Jill Zande, MATE Executive Director for the Marine Technology Society (MTS). “Their ingenuity and dedication offer hope for the future of our blue ocean planet and ecosystems.” 

The competition also celebrated the strong support from the Kingsport community and local sponsors, including Visit Kingsport, Tennessee Valley Authority, Eastman, Ballad Health, and the Niswonger Foundation, whose contributions ensured an exceptional experience for all involved.  

For a complete list of sponsors, please visit materovcompetition.org/en-us/sponsor.  

Winning Teams: 

1. 1^st place EXPLORER class: Seahawk – Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA
2. 1^st place PIONEER class: Crush Depth – Clovis Community College, Fresno, CA
3. 1^st place RANGER class: Whaletech – North Paulding Robotics, Dallas, GA

For a complete list of award winners, please visit materovcompetition.org/awards-0.  

About the MATE ROV Competition 

Established with funding from the National Science Foundation at Monterey Peninsula College in 1997, the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center worked with the Marine Technology Society’s ROV Committee to create the MATE ROV Competition. The first event kicked off in 2001. Fifteen years later, MATE Inspiration for Innovation (MATE II) incorporated in the state of California as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. MATE II was founded in 2016 to support and sustain ongoing education activities initiated at the MATE Center. During July 2023, MATE II initiated the next phase of its journey by becoming an integral part of the Marine Technology Society’s lineup of program offerings. Through this partnership, MATE and MTS have fostered connections and bridged the gap between today’s professionals and future innovators in marine technology. To learn more, visit materovcompetition.org. 

MEDIA CONTACT 

Chelsea Bladow  

Communications Manager | Marine Technology Society 

chelsea.bladow@mtsociety.org | (202) 827-7172 | mtsociety.org