Monday, Apr 20, 2026
On April 18, 2026, the FAU Lab Schools MATE Club traveled to Tampa to compete in the MATE ROV Florida Regional Competition at the University of South Florida.
Throughout the school year, students have been working on underwater robotics, also known as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). They applied their knowledge of math, physics, electronics, mechanics, and engineering, along with strong critical thinking skills. From designing their ROVs to 3D printing parts, wiring systems, developing innovative solutions, and preparing engineering presentations, these students demonstrated a high level of technical ability and commitment.
The MATE ROV competition challenges students to design and build an ROV capable of completing a series of underwater missions that simulate real-world marine industry tasks. Teams are evaluated not only on the performance of their vehicle in the pool, but also on their engineering design process, technical documentation, marketing display, and oral presentation.
Fourteen students participated in the competition. The Aquatic Owls team: Tyler Evrard Vescio (10), Yaer Peretz (10), Elliot Evrard Vescio (10), Krishiv Raj (10), Arish Dotiwala (10), and Maksim Sarkisov (10) competed in the Scout category, earning Best Marketing Display (Scout Division) and first place overall in the Scout Division.
The Night Owls team: Sakshar Patel (10), Matteo Perez (11), Mia Mandili (11), Samuel Merlin (10), James Naporko (10), Lassya Pagadala (11), Ysabella Posadas (11), and Bernardo Machado Marianelli (12) competed in the Ranger category, earning Best Engineering Presentation (Ranger Division) and second place overall in the Ranger Division.
Special thanks to Emily Diaz Silva (12), Felipe Salvador (12), Adrian Pawlowski (12), Stefan Manevski (12), and Gabriel Sharipov (11), who contributed throughout the school year but were not able to attend the competition. Lastly, we would like to thank Ms. Aura Cuasquer Ordonez, who supported and mentored the team through the entire process. Amazing work, Owls!