Two student teams from New Jersey received international recognition for their robotic designs in the International SeaPerch Competition at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts June 1-3.

The Harrington Middle School team placed second overall for the middle school-level and the High School team from Egg Harbor Township Police Athletic League placed third overall for the high school-level in the student robotics competition.

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst Education Outreach Office and the Naval Civilian Managers Association (NCMA) partly sponsored the teams’ trip to the International Competition.

Both New Jersey teams qualified for the International Competition after winning the New Jersey Regional Competition held by NAWCAD Lakehurst at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey March 24, which consisted of a total of 47 middle and high school teams.

“Congratulations to both teams for representing New Jersey so well at Internationals and placing in the top three,” said NAWCAD Lakehurst’s Educational Outreach Office Representative Haidy Oliveira.

SeaPerch is an underwater robotics program that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curricula by providing students the resources needed to construct an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).

“Students learn basic engineering and science concepts while being introduced to design, and have fun in the process,” said Oliveira.

Students compete their underwater robot in both obstacle and finesse courses. The robots are judged on speed, navigation, finesse, creativity and design.

Students also display their marketing skills by presenting their designs to a panel of judges, said Oliveira.

NAWCAD Lakehurst engineers serve as team advisors and judges during the New Jersey Regional SeaPerch Competition each year.