Part I Greater Philadelphia Sea Perch Challenge Overview

1. 
   Eligible Participants
   

1. 
   The GPSPC is open to middle schools, high schools, and youth organizations in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware tri-state area. Teams may only register for one (1) regional challenge in the tri-state area to qualify for the national competition.
   

2. 
   Registration
   

1. 
   Team registration for the 2014 Sea Perch Challenge will open on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 and remain open until Thursday, November 15, 2013. Only one high school level team and one middle school level team per school or organization will be accepted. A team may register for only one local regional SeaPerch competition. A $25.00 registration fee will be assessed from each registrant.
   

1. 
   Phase I: Program Kickoff
   

1. The Sea Perch Challenge Program Kickoff Phase includes all activities associated with the Challenge MISSION AND RULES, team registration, SeaPerch kit distribution, and new advisor training.

2. 
   Phase II: Design – Build – Test
   

1. The Sea Perch Challenge Design – Build – Test Phase is all time between Kickoff and Competition. It is the time to learn, teach, experiment, and practice. Teams shall function as companies competing for a simulated Navy contract by designing an underwater ROV that meets the technical requirements while staying within the specified budgetary restriction of $20.00. Phase II is when the Competition products are developed.

4. GPSPC Mentor Program

A mentor is a navy engineer that provides guidance to a SeaPerch team and their advisors/teachers.

The mentor will meet with the students to provide guidance on engineering principles that can assist the students in making construction decisions for their Sea Perch.
Mentors provide help with the construction kit, presentation skills, and notebook organization. They also act as the team liaison for questions about the competition and design. The role of the mentor is to provide the team with means to a solution, instead of answers to the teams’ technical problems. By teaching the engineering principles to the students, the students can apply those principles in practical, hands on experience.
Meeting with the Mentor

It is suggested that the mentor meet with their SeaPerch team at least four times throughout the Design and Build phase. The first meeting is a great introductory opportunity for the mentor to discuss their career, the fields of science and math and share the fun aspects of math and science. The mentor can provide examples of how they use science and engineering every day. Subsequent meeting times can be established where the students engage in the design of the Sea Perch and then on to the building phase.

SeaPerch teams register online and it is at that time they can request partnership with a mentor

When we receive your request for a mentor one will be assigned to you. We do our best to find the best fit between the school and the mentor. You may specifically request a mentor you have had in the previous challenge. Just let us know who they are. Once a mentor is assigned, an email will be sent to the mentor and the first team advisors. Mentors will be given the first and second advisors name, email address and telephone numbers. The advisor will be contacted by the mentor via email or telephone.
The Benefits of Working with a Mentor

• 
  The mentor program is increasing student interest in math, science, and engineering.
  
• 
  Increase awareness of Naval Engineering and Naval Architecture as career fields
  
• 
  Helping students prepare for college level work
  
• 
  Provides students with the opportunities to:
  
  • 
    work in a collaborative environment
    
  • 
    experience a major university campus
    
  • 
    participate in a realistic business and technical scenario
    
  • 
    interface with industry, academia, and government engineers
    

Working with a mentor will enhance your teams experience and provide you with a greater chance of success.

(2) High School

(2) Team Oral Poster Presentation

(3) Vehicle Performance (obstacle/maneuverability and mission)

(4) Team Spirit and Sportsmanship

Trophies for first, second, and third place in both Competition Class (six total)

Each team will receive a score for each of the four competition categories listed above. Scores from all categories except Team Spirit & Sportsmanship will be combined to determine the overall GPSPC Champion. There will one overall Middle School Champion and one High School Champion.

A $100.00 cash award presented to the middle school and high school teams that are identified as the Overall GPSPC Winners. First and second place winners will be invited to participate in the annual American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) symposium.

A $100.00 cash award presented to one middle school and one high school team that best utilizes sound engineering principles and approach for assessing Sea Perch design variations and incorporating those changes into the final design.

An award presented to one middle school and one high school team that overcomes the most significant obstacle(s) and still competes in the challenge.

II. Naval Engineering Research

III. Design, Engineering, and Manufacturing Process

IV. Naval Scenario for SeaPerch

V. Teamwork

VI. Bill of Material

VII. Supporting Documentation
c. Engineering Design Notebook Rules

(1) The Engineering Design Notebook shall be electronically submitted in an approved file and within file size limitations specified in advance of the competition. The deadline for Notebook submittals is 5:00 pm on April 04, 2014. Notebooks will not be accepted after the deadline.
a. Approved file size and format

1. 
   File must be a maximum of 3 mb
   
2. 
   Formatted as an Adobe PDF or MS Word .doc
   
3. 
   No more than 20 pages long (includes cover page)
   
4. 
   Must contain receipts for design costs
   

Refer to page 7 for a complete rubric for the Design Notebook Guide.

• Company Overview

– Company name, size, and demographics

– Mission/Vision statement with an emphasis on naval engineering

– Organization of the company explained
• Recruiting Methods

• 
  How did the company recruit new members
  

• Budget information and implementation

– Identify additions and modifications to the Sea Perch

– Explain any trade-offs of the modifications

• 
  Identify the steps taken to achieve the design
  
• 
  Design research (naval engineering research)
  
• 
  Identify technical calculations or testing conducted and design priorities
  
• 
  Integrated lessons learned
  
• 
  Charts/Drawings/Pictures
  

b. High School Teams must also:

– Mission/Vision statement of the company

– Overview of the types of engineers involved in the process

– Organizational Chart

1. 
   A maximum of eight team members and one advisor will be allowed to staff the poster during the judging. All team members present must participate in giving the presentation. The presentation may be videotaped by one of the eight representatives and must be done without causing a disturbance.
   

2. 
   Teams will have 10 minutes to present their poster and 5 minutes answer follow-up questions by the judges.
   

3. 
   Teams are advised to arrive at their designated presentation area 10 minutes prior to their scheduled start time. Teams who are more then 5-minutes late will not be allowed to present. A schedule of presentation times will be posted during the competition.
   

4. 
   Teams are encouraged to walk around and view/discuss presentations with other teams.
   

• Maximum flag dimensions are 3 feet by 3 feet

• The flag shall prominently display the school and team names

• A maximum of 1 flag per school is allowed

• Demonstrate sportsmanship by cheering for and assisting other schools

• Posters & signs

• Team clothing

• Cheers
6. The sportsmanship award will be determined through a voting process. Teams will be observed by competition judges. Teams displaying sportsmanship will be nominated by the judges and the nominations will be placed in a voting box. The lead Spirit & Sportsmanship judge will make the final decision on the winner by calculating the combined Spirit & Sportsmanship scores.
7. Craft Design Compliance

1. All Sea Perch ROV entries will be subjected to two (2) compliance reviews prior to the competition.

1. 
   No loose parts that will potentially fall off during competition or handling
   
2. 
   Ballast attachment is secure
   
3. 
   Propeller is properly and securely fastened to motor shaft
   
4. 
   Camera location and method of attachment and video interface is identified (see camera info next page)
   

5. 
   No Exposed wires on controller
   
6. 
   No Exposed live wires on SeaPerch or tether
   
7. 
   No sharp edges
   
8. 
   Alligator Clip covers (supplied with the kit) are installed on electrical contacts as appropriate
   

9. 
   Team connects battery to demonstrate forward and reverse operation of each propeller to ensure they are in proper working order.
   

4. Design Compliance

10. 
    No more than 3 motors are used for propulsion (3 props)
    
11. 
    Propeller motors are standard issue and have not been upgraded
    
12. 
    If design modifications appear to exceed $15, team identifies that they have valid receipts submitted with their notebook to support their design modifications are less than $20.
    

A serialized tag (label tape) will be attached by the judge to the Sea Perch frame.

2. Maneuverability - Demonstrate that the SeaPerch has the ability to submerge and can surface

The time between the morning check-in process and the first round of the competition is approximately 1 ½ hours. Listed below is a sample of the days' schedule.

• 
  Team Registration and compliance
  
• 
  Presentation of Colors
  
• 
  Opening Remarks
  
• 
  Performance Rounds and Oral Presentations begin
  
• 
  *Lunch Break (1 hour for lunch)
  
• 
  Awards Ceremony (approximate time 3:00 pm)
  

Refreshments – Cold water will be made available to all event attendees in the pool area at no charge. Updated information for a schedule of events can be obtained by visiting the Drexel website at least 1 week prior to the competition. http://www.phillyseaperch.org

1. 
   Testing pools will be set-up on the outside of Drexel’s athletic the center for practicing with your Sea Perch. A staff member will be available at these testing pools to provide assistance and ensure compliance.
   

2. 
   A Triage Station will be set-up in close proximity to the pool deck area. Minor repairs and adjustments to your vehicle can be done in triage. A qualified volunteer will be assigned to the triage station to provide you with assistance.
   

3. 
   Cameras, Monitors and Batteries – high school teams must comply with one of the following options:
   

b.) Come with the exact camera shown already mounted and simply connect to our compatible monitor and use our battery.

c.) You may use a different camera and can mount it they way you want. You must have your own battery and must have either a RCA connection or a BNC connection with an adaptor to an RCA jack in order to interface with our monitors.

c. Arrival and Check In

1. 
   Plan to arrive between 7:30 and 8:00 am. Allow time for traffic.
   
2. 
   Registration begins at 8:00 am. Advisors should report directly to registration
   
3. 
   A step-by-step check list must be completed and must be certified (initial) complete by a lead judge at each location before a team is eligible to compete. Once the check list has been complete it should be handed into the lead compliance officer in the gym.
   

Steps to complete:

1. 
   Registration
   
2. 
   Compliance 1 Craft Inspection (only 2 team members including advisor)
   
3. 
   Compliance 2 Water Test (only 2 team members including advisor)
   
4. 
   Poster Presentation set-up
   

4. 
   Two (2) team members (including advisor), with their Sea Perch, should report directly to compliance stations #1 and then to compliance # 2. Only 2 team members are permitted to be at compliance station #2 (dive pool area), prior to the start of the competition to pass the maneuverability test. All other team members and spectators must report to the gym for the opening ceremony.
   

5. 
   If repairs to the Sea Perch are needed two team members may report to Triage prior to the opening ceremony.
   

6. 
   Testing of your SeaPerch for maneuverability maybe conducted in the test pools located outside of the gym.
   

1. 
   All team members must wear shoes with rubber soles on the pool deck.
   

2. 
   Teams will report to the “Mission Course” or “Obstacle Course” side of the pool deck at least 5 minutes before their scheduled heat time.
   

3. 
   Only 2 team members are allowed on the pool deck during competition. Teams are permitted to change drivers for each round.
   

4. 
   The vehicle may be reset by the teams during the competition.
   
5. 
   Hooks and other attachments may be added/removed between competition rounds.
   

6. 
   Nothing other than the Sea Perch vehicle shall be put into the pool during the competition.
   

7. 
   In the event that a vehicle is inadvertently interfered with during a competition, or a malfunction of a vehicle's parts (i.e., the motor) occurs that is beyond the design and construction, the lead pool judge will have the sole authority to provide the team time to fix their vehicle and to allow them to compete at a later time. Malfunctions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and the lead pool judge will have the sole authority to limit the number of times a team may retry to compete.
   

Figure 1: Obstacle Course Assembly Layout Example

Many times, underwater vehicles are used to retrieve items from the sea floor, or the floor of a harbor or port. The ability to recover objects off the sea floor depends on the vehicle’s ability to grasp or manipulate the object, and also to lift or carry it to another destination. If the object is too heavy, or it unbalances the craft, or the craft cannot get control of the object, the vehicle cannot successfully perform its mission. In addition to recovering objects, ROVs are also called upon to perform tasks that are too dangerous for humans to perform. In this underwater mission, your ROV has been tasked in the retrieval of communication boxes that were lost at sea and are of great value to the United States. Unfortunately, the communication boxes were discovered by a Russian submarine and temporarily placed in a secure holding area at the bottom of the Baltic Sea until they can be retrieved and decoded. Your task is to maneuver your ROV through a small security access door, clear underwater mines, and retrieve the communication boxes before the Russian submarine returns.

The course is consisted of a security wall, spanning the lane from bottom to surface. The wall, when installed, will stand 2’ below the surface of the pool. The security wall is made of ½ “PVC pipe and fittings. The security wall is covered with a wire mesh, similar to chicken wire.

3’ below the surface will be the access door. The door sits within a 24” opening in the middle of the wall. The access door is constructed of ½” PVC pipe and fittings. In order to open the access door, the operator will have to manipulate a simple latch and push the door open. The access door is covered with a wire mesh. For this challenge, the Sea-Perch teams must design a probe of some sort and attach it to the ROV for operating the latch.

There will be two underwater mines protecting the locked gate that must be cleared from the bottom of the pool before the ROV can safely maneuver forward to retrieve the boxes. For this challenge, the Sea-Perch teams must design a probe of some sort and attach it to the ROV for releasing the mines from the pool floor.

Beyond the mines, there will be six communication boxes. The operator will have to attempt to retrieve as many of the boxes as possible in the time provided. Retrieved boxes will have to then be transported to the end of the pool, on the operator’s side of the wall to be scored. The boxes are visually identical. Each box is constructed from Digikey P/N 377-1165-ND with a ¼” Polypropylene line as a handle by which they can be

picked up and transported. The boxes will contain varying weights. The weights will range from very light to very heavy. Specific weights will be published at a later date. For this challenge, the Sea-Perch teams must design a hook of some sort and attach it to the ROV for retrieving the boxes. Normal Sea Perch design and construction will allow the ROV to retrieve the lightweight and middleweight boxes from the pool floor. To lift and retrieve the heavyweight boxes, the ROV alone is not enough to do this job. The Sea-Perch teams must design a way to overcome the additional weight. Consideration of buoyancy, thrust, hook placement and attachment, camera placement and attachment, and ballasting become very important in this mission.

Cameras (high school only)

Remotely operated underwater vehicles almost never perform their duties within direct sight of the operators. Instead, they rely on remote sensors such as video cameras to enable them to achieve their goals. This can introduce difficulties though, as cameras can only reveal a portion of the vehicle’s surroundings. ROVs designed and operated by High School teams must use Cameras for this mission. Care must be taken in the design and operation of the vehicles such that the vehicle has the sufficient vision to complete its task. Each team should bring their battery to the pool.

3. Scores for this mission shall be based on the following challenge within the time limit:

• 4 points shall be awarded for opening the Security Door

• 4 points shall be awarded for each mine released

• 4 points shall be awarded for each of the (4) four “standard boxes retrieved

• 8 points shall be awarded for each of the (2) two “super heavy” boxes retrieved

4. There is a maximum of 44 points that can be earned by completing all challenged tasks.

5. In the event more than one team finishes the underwater mission with the same number of total of points, the team that acquired the last point in the shortest time shall be placed ahead of another team with the same total.

1. 
   Do I need training?
   

2. 
   How many kits are provided? Can I purchase a kit?
   

3. 
   What if I need tools?
   

4. 
   If I did not pick up my kits, tools or camera can it be shipped to my school?
   

5. 
   How long does the build take?
   

6. 
   Can I add enhancements?
   

7. 
   How can I obtain spare parts?
   

7. 
   Will high school teams be required to rely on the camera to navigate the obstacle course?
   

7. 
   What if my underwater camera is not working?
   

7. 
   What if we don’t have a pool?
   

7. 
   Is it legal to stack two or more Jameco P/N 232022 props on the motor shafts used for propulsion?
   

7. 
   Do we count additional ballast into our budget?
   

7. 
   How many team members are permitted on a team?
   

7. 
   Where will the final scores be posted?