Robot Team Flies ‘Hammerhead’ To NASA Competition
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Students Keoni Hall (left), Zach Fischer, Trevor
Johnson, Nate Franco and Jacob Pantastico fiddle
with ‘Hammerhead’ before taking it to a national
robotics contest. Photo by David Izumi.
Dedicated tinkerers from Kailua High School are on their way to Johnson Space Center in Houston this week to show the world what they’ve learned about underwater robots.
Their yearlong project has produced a ROV (remotely operated vehicle) that should be able to pick up a box, put it in a frame, open a door and release a pin- all in 15 to 20 feet of water. They’ve tested it in local pools like the Windward YMCA, where the depth is more like 9 or 10 feet. Anticipating heavier pressure, they’ve also replaced its aluminum frame with stainless steel and tested for the shifts in buoyancy and balance.
Ready or not, the International Underwater Robotics Competition is this weekend at NASA’s neutral buoyancy lab. Kailua qualified at the state level last fall and will represent Hawaii at the Texas event.
“This year is the hardest mission I’ve ever seen,” admitted teacher David Izumi, whose team of volunteer students in his Advanced Technical Ed class slowly shrank to a dedicated core of five boys. But he’s proud of their efforts - and their approach to the project.
“This is an industrial engineering class - the old-time shop class that’s moving away from applied science. But our emphasis is still on building things. Most of the competitors are science clubs.
“We’re in tune with what works, and how to put it together. Sure, we want it to look good ... but does it work?”
They’ve christened their entry Mano Kihikihi (Hammerhead Shark). “If you looked at it, you’d know why,” laughed Izumi, who took two teams from Moanalua High to the nationals in recent years.
The 2006 Surfrider crew has Zachary Fischer, Jacob Pantastico, Trevor Johnson, Keoni Hall and Nathan Franco. As ROV engineers, they design, draw, build from scratch, create a budget, write reports and do interviews.
The stated goal is to “increase the awareness and visibility of marine technical fields, educational and career opportunities, and potential employers.” That’s a long way from shop class.
Another important adjustment this year: Based on his previous experience, Izumi is sending the ROV to Texas by FedEx.
“The TSAs at the airport totally took it apart before,” he said. “I guess they thought it looked like a bomb.”
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