During the 2008-2009 academic year a team of eight midshipmen designed and built an AUV as their capstone design project. After two semesters of design, fabrication, and programming; four of the team members flew out to the SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific's TRANSDEC Facility in San Diego for the week long competition. Contending with numerous technical issues, the team worked as many as 18 hours per day troubleshooting electrical problems, testing controllers and applying theory learned as Systems Engineers. Despite the long hours, the team remained optimistic, motivated, and focused.
“I was entirely amazed as to how many people were cheering for our team. Even though teams from San Diego were entered into the competition, USNA was viewed as more of the hometown team. It was very rewarding to hear that high ranking officials and officers held our team in high regard. Looking at other teams, I realized how rare an opportunity USNA’s Systems Department presented me with by entrusting me to work with high value sensors and equipment. This was definitely a unique project and a unique experience,” said team member ENS Dan Umpa.
The team achieved 4th place out of 30 teams in the static competition. (Oh yeah . ..there is also the lasting benefit of the problem solving and time management skills learned th roughout the ten months of development will serve the team members well as they enter serve in the world’s most technically advanced Navy)
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