Kim Bolanowski, Alpena Plaza Pool aquatics director, was approached by several teams to utilize the pool to test equipment before the competition began. Bolanowski agreed, with the stipulation that the pool patrons are first priority.

“We have our daily programming going on with our aerobic classes, and we’re providing a test site for the ROV competition,” Bolanowski told The News on Wednesday.

Hephaestus Robotics of Santa Cruz, California was at the Alpena Plaza Pool Wednesday morning to test some of their equipment leading up to the competition, which started Thursday and runs through Sunday. Tim Madsen, Hephaestus Robotics team mentor, explained that the team is used to ocean ecosystems so the Great Lakes have been an interesting challenge for their students.

“We live in our oceanside community,” Madsen said. “Our conception of being a robot in the water is always in the deep ocean. So it’s interesting the idea that there’s a lot of robotics in the Great Lakes because it’s just not something that our students generally have thought of … It’s interesting to see the same skill set here and in California.”

News Photo by Kayla Wikaryasz Hephaestus Robotics team members are seen performing tests on their ROV equipment on Wednesday at the Alpena Plaza Pool.

Tim Sylvester, mentor of Hephaestus Robotics, explained that his nonprofit, X Academy, mentors several robotics teams that bring together students from multiple schools in the Santa Cruz area.

“Kids are having a great time,” Sylvester said. “They spend all school year building the robot and writing software and troubleshooting. They also have to do a 15-minute engineering presentation and a 25-page technical document.”

Hephaestus Robotics team member Sophia Casaletto said that she is proud of her team and happy to be at the championship.

“We’re all super passionate about robotics and this competition so it makes me really happy that we made it this far,” Casaletto said.

Casaletto said that beyond the competition, she is enjoying her time in Alpena.

News Photo by Kayla Wikaryasz On Wednesday, Alpena Plaza Pool patrons are seen participating in an aquatics class while ROV teams test their equipment.

“I like the little downtown area,” Casaletto said. “It’s very quaint.”

Daphne Bingham, another Hephaestus Robotics team member, said the biggest challenge for the team to get to this point in the competition was learning to communicate.

“We’re all part of different groups within the team,” Bingham said. “Talking between those groups has been very difficult because we all lose track of what everybody has done. I personally find it amazing that we all have synced up enough to be able to make this ROV … I think that’s been an amazing accomplishment.”

Bingham added that the most exciting part of being at the championship level is learning from other teams.

“We all got the same request for proposal,” Bingham said. “And yet, none of the ROVs look the same. I just find it fascinating how we all took a different approach … it just attests to how humanity can always do something different, even within the same strict guidelines.”

Madsen noted that the Alpena Plaza Pool has been accommodating to Hephaestus Robotics and other ROV teams in Alpena preparing for the championship.

Competition continues today and Saturday in the outdoor viewing tank behind the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, 500 W. Fletcher St., Alpena.

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.