• Participation in the EXPLORER class is open to students in community and technical colleges and four-year universities. 
• High school students (and students of comparable grade levels) participating in the MATE ROV competition for the first time are NOT eligible to compete in the EXPLORER class. 
• High school students (and students of comparable grade levels) who have previously competed in the EXPLORER class will be considered provided that they:
  • Placed within the top 50% at last year’s international event
  • Can demonstrate that at least 50% of the students on last year’s team are participating on the team this year
    NOTE: For the 2021 competition season, teams with fewer than 50% of the students on last year's team participating will be considered.
     
• High school students (and students of comparable grade levels) who have previously competed in the RANGER class will be considered provided that they:
  • Placed within the top three at last year’s international event
  • Can demonstrate that at least 50% of the students on last year’s team are participating on the team this year
    NOTE: For the 2021 competition season, teams with fewer than 50% of the students on last year's team participating will be considered.
     

  IMPORTANT:  High school teams interested in competing in the EXPLORER class must contact the MATE ROV Competition by December 31. Teams must be prepared to demonstrate that they meet the conditions described above.  Decisions will be made and teams notified by January 15. High school teams who have competed previously in the EXPLORER class must also contact the MATE ROV Competition by December 31 to confirm continued compliance with eligibility rules.

• High school students may participate as members of a college/university EXPLORER team provided that they:
  • Are enrolled in classes at a college or university
  • Do not make up more than 25% of the team

NOTE: Teams of mixed college/university and high school students interested in entering the 2021 EXPLORER class must contact the MATE ROV Competition by December 31, 2020.  Teams must be prepared to demonstrate that they meet the conditions described above.  Decisions will be made and teams notified by January 15, 2021.

• Elementary and middle school students are NOT eligible to compete in the EXPLORER class.

 Number of teams

• Two teams per school are permitted provided that they come from different departments and/or campuses and that there are no common mentors or students (i.e., faculty can only mentor one team and students can only participate on one team). 
• Schools with two (or more) teams that do not meet these criteria are encouraged to hold an in-school run-off to determine which team will represent their school at the competition. 
• High schools are not permitted to enter more than one team per school even if they do meet the above criteria. 

The following are links to all of the information needed regarding mission tasks and specs.

• 2025 Preview Mission Task
• 2025 EXPLORER Class Competition Manual_11_27
• 2025 MATE ROV Competition: Product Demo and Specs Briefing
• 2025 EXPLORER Class Prop Building Instructions
  • 2025 EXPLORER Part List
• MATE 2025 EXPLORER/PIONEER/RANGER Prop Demonstration and Q&A
• EXPLORER Fly-through video [Vimeo] [YouTube]
• CAD model of EXPLORER environment
• Vertical Profiling Float

Product Demonstration Resources

• Shipwreck Handbook
• Invasive Carp eDNA Handbook
• Dissolved CO2 Test Procedure

• Official Rulings Document

2025 Scoring Guides

• Company Spec Sheet
• 2025 Corporate Responsibility Score Sheet
• Product Demonstration
• Technical Documentation
  • Technical Documentation Supplemental Information
• Marketing Display
• Engineering Presentation
  • Scoring Rubric for Technical Documentation and Engineering Presentation
• Initial Safety Inspection sheet
• On-Site Safety Inspection sheet
• LASER Safety Inspection sheet
• NRD (Non-ROV Device) Inspection sheet
• 2025 Safety Tutorial
  • 2025 SAFETY BRIEFING.mp4 on Vimeo