Underwater ROVs, or remotely operated vehicles, are used in research missions such as the Titanic recovery. At a Maryland high school, students are constructing their own ROVs -- called Sea Perches -- with help from Navy engineers from NAVSEA Carderock, who teach kids about ship design, the basics of electronics, and buoyancy.
Each student builds a Sea Perch, starting by assembling the frame and installing the electronics and motors. They complete their water robots by adjusting the weight to make the machines "neutrally buoyant." The students find the process challenging -- and fun.
"It overwhelmed us in the beginning but when we got all the steps, we put it together and it's pretty easy," says one. "I can't wait to see it in the water," says another. "We just hope it works. That's the biggest goal!"