Building the Future

We often take for granted the gadgets in our pockets, and the effort, problem solving, and innovation that went into making them a reality.

     However, for members of LBCC's Remotely Operated Vehicles Club, ingenuity, imagination, and finding solutions to problems through science is all part of a day's work. They may not be building the next smart phone, but the tasks they set out to solve, and the challenges they are building robots to overcome provide students here at LBCC the chance to dig down, and explore this exciting field of study.

     Greg Mulder, one of the faculty advisors for the group, summed up the ROV club as a diverse group of students in various fields of study who come together for a common cause. Whether it is building a submersible to explore underwater volcanoes, and study estuaries, to working with other schools of all levels to promote an interest in the sciences, the club provides opportunities to develop a strong sense of community. The advisor was not alone in this sentiment.

     "Everyone is welcome," said Jody Eaton, the club's treasurer. She spoke of how everyone worked together, working on each component and task, and then would come together as a whole to share his or her results. The supportive nature of the club means everyone, regardless of who they are, is a part of the collaborative feel, and ultimate success of the projects at hand. "It is fun to watch the evolution of an idea," she said as she worked away on her laptop developing a code for the component she was working on.

     However, it is not all fun and games, as the ROV club tackle real world issues. In the wake of the Deep Horizon explosion, and the resulting oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the club — along with ROV clubs all over the nation — set out to work on solutions on how to cap the gushing well. The club provides the opportunity to work on real world problems, taking hands on approach to finding solutions to seemingly insurmountable challenges.

     "One of the things we do is simulating a test or do a challenge," said Michael Tilse, a returning club member. "For our competitions, we are given instructions on props to build so that we can build our ROV to fulfill certain tasks." Michael, who helps design the components and control systems for the ROVs spoke of how the process of building a robot for a competition often starts with nothing more than a few hints from the group running the competition itself. Throughout the year, using the hints given (this year seeming to point to the salvaging of underwater WWII debris), the club will work on building the ground work for a robot, adding to and changing it as they learn more about the task they will ultimately be putting the ROV through its paces in.

     The club is open to all interested students, regardless of their skill levels, for this is not only a place to work on robotics, but also a place to learn new skills, from the fabrication of parts, the coding of computer programs, to technical writing of reports on how various aspects of the process are moving along. Anyone interested in joining can contact Greg Mulder, or come to Madrone Hall 113 on Monday or Wednesday at 4pm for the club meetings.