The room buzzes with excitement as 400 students gather for the finale of the ?Save The Bay: Robotics Challenge.? For the last 16 weeks, under the guidance of Navy scientists and engineers, they have been trouping out to river banks to study the environment and working in the classroom to build and program robots.
The students worked in teams to research problems in the Chesapeake Bay and devise ways to reverse environmental harm. Their focus is diverse, from invasive species and over-harvesting of marine life to the effects of soil erosion and runoff.
“The kids are wonderful,” says Physicist Ray Gamache. “You can inspire them and hopefully influence them to have fun and guide them possibly in a career.”