When conducting underwater robotics research, the state of Kansas doesn’t seem a likely place to work.

But that doesn’t hinder the Victoria High School10th grade  students and their physics teacher Allison Somers.  Monday afternoon they went to the indoor swimming pool at Fort Hays State University for their SeaPerch challenge.

“The kids have spent the last few weeks assembling the SeaPerch robot kits, and now we’re testing them in the water and then actually competing on an underwater obstacle course, ” says Somers.

The robots maneuvered through the course, picking up four rings and depositing them in a bucket, driving under and over a horizontal pole and around several cones—all underwater.  The students, working in teams, operated the robots by remote control from pool side.

“We have three motors to control,” says VHS sophomore Austin Crawford. “Right, left, and up and down.”

Crawford’s teammate Susanne Maestes says she’s always liked science, but this was her first experience with electrical engineering.

“I was surprised how easy it is to make an underwater device,” she says.

Victoria is the first Kansas school to participate in the SeaPerch Challenge.   Somers plans to use the kits again next school year.