Aquabots war comes to Northland for the first time ever

This team of year 6 girls is the youngest of the four teams taking part from Matarau school. Photo / Supplied

Whangārei is to become a battleground for an army of Aquabots, with more than 180 Northland students ready to test the water for their transformers next month.

For the first time, year 6 to 13 students from Northern Wairoa, Whangārei and the Bay of Islands to Panguru and Whangaroa in the north are working in teams to build underwater robots to compete against each other at the Whangārei Aquatic Centre on April 12.

The competition is funded by Foundation North and run by Nelson-based Educational Trust Ministry of Inspiration.

The programme aims to combine engineering, robotics, maths and design in a fun and imaginative format.

Programme director Gareth Bodle said the Aquabot scheme was designed by the US Navy to encourage students to take up science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers and would help students test their skills, design and technology against each other in a competition format involving speed, manoeuvrability and underwater tasks and challenges.

"Students build their Aquabot from a standard kit using PVC pipes and fittings, electric motors and electric circuitry.

"The simplicity of the design is deceptive as the students must master a wide range of engineering skills, buoyancy and hydro-dynamics as well as construction and electrical skills."

Bodle said students and teachers were all enjoying the challenges and the programme's ability to extend students' thinking and learning.

"Some year 8 students are even jealously guarding plans and designs developed themselves and incorporating university-level science and engineering, keeping them secret to only unveil their modified Aquabot at the competition to maintain their competitive edge."

Six teams from Maungatapere school are participating in the Aquabots competition. Photo / Supplied

Organisers say Northland leads with the biggest uptake in the country so far and April's competition will be the largest in the country with 53 teams competing.

As a former Northlander, Bodle said, it had been extremely rewarding to bring advanced, internationally regarded and fun STEM programmes to Northland, "not only to our larger schools but also smaller rural ones and those more geographically remote schools and be so warmly received by students and teachers alike".

What are Aquabots?

An Aquabot is a remotely operated underwater vehicle. It can have varying levels of sophistication, which generates a broad appeal to children and youth.

Students design and build an NZAquabot from the supplied kit and develop skills in its operation. The programme culminates in a regional or national event.