A Santa Cruz County-based science education group took top honors in a regional underwater robotics competition April 25, earning a return trip to an international contest in Newfoundland, Canada.
The Hephaestus Robotics Team, part of the Santa Cruz County Office of Education’s X Academy Robotics Clubs, placed first in the advanced Ranger Class at the Marine Advanced Technology Education Monterey Bay Regional Remotely Operated Vehicles (MATE ROV) competition at Watsonville High School. The finish secures the team a spot at the world championships June 25–27 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
“It’s amazing,” said X Academy co-founder Barbara Meister. “It is an affirmation of the talent of young people in our county.”
The win marks the team’s third consecutive trip to the international competition, where students from around the world test underwater robots they design and build.
The annual event drew hundreds of students from roughly 20 schools across the Bay Area. Teams constructed remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, capable of completing mission-based tasks modeled after real-world ocean engineering challenges.
This year’s competition simulated work in the frigid waters off Newfoundland—often called “Iceberg Alley”—where freezing temperatures, rough seas and icebergs complicate research. The scenario was inspired in part by the recent discovery of a dense deep-sea coral garden in the region, a biodiversity hotspot more than 200 meters below the surface.
“Everything we’re simulating in the pool is something that scientists have done out there,” said Matt Gardner, the MATE ROV competition’s technical manager.
Students navigated obstacle courses, retrieved objects from the pool floor and gathered simulated data from icy surface conditions. In addition to the engineering challenges, teams presented their designs to judges, including scientists from Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
Hephaestus, made up of 25 students from nine high schools across Santa Cruz County and beyond, competed alongside another local X Academy team, Berrybotics, which placed third in the Ranger Class. Valley Christian School’s Warrior Tides took second.
Berrybotics team member Orlando Cazales, 17, a senior at Diamond Tech in Watsonville, said the group saw improvement from last year.
“We did very well compared to last year,” he said. “And everything went fluid. Everything went smooth.”
The Berrybotics robot was dubbed “Krabby Patty” after the cartoon “Spongebob Squarepants.”
“We’ve poured over eight months of hard work and dedication into our ROV and float,” Cazales said.
Annika Skrovan, 15, an Aptos High School student, said time constraints added pressure during the competition.
“We only had 15 minutes, so it’s important to get as much done as possible,” she said. “We didn’t get everything done, but nobody does.”
Hephaestus student leader Julia Tick, a junior at Pacific Collegiate School, said the team had to quickly build cohesion.
“We started with a lot of new members from eight different high schools across Santa Cruz County and had some serious learning to do—not only in engineering, but also in working cohesively as a team,” she said.
The X Academy Robotics Clubs program is a partnership between the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and nonprofit X Academy. It provides students hands-on experience in engineering, computer science and teamwork at no cost.
“We want to bring as many students as we can, regardless of their ability to pay,” Meister said. “That’s what X Academy’s mission is about: creating more rich STEM opportunities in this county.”
Founded by Meister and her husband, Joby Aviation engineer Tim Sylvester, the program has grown to include dozens of students from schools throughout the county, supported by volunteer mentors who meet on weekends during the school year.
Organizers say the program’s impact extends beyond robotics.
“STEM is really important, and why we do what we do is to get these kids interested in STEM,” Gardner said. “For the youngest kids, it’s really showing them that science is cool.”
Even for students who pursue other careers, he said, the experience builds skills that carry into fields ranging from automotive design to aerospace engineering.
Now, teams are preparing for the 4,300-mile trip to Canada, including fundraising efforts to help cover travel costs.
That includes an event on May 3 from 4 to 9pm at the Hook and Line restaurant at 101 Walnut Ave. in Santa Cruz.
“We want to bring as many students as we can,” Meister said.
For information or to donate, visit xacademy.org.
