2027 SeaPerch Season

Objective: Demonstrate the performance of your novel ROV design.

Submission Format: Teams compete in the Obstacle Course and Mission Course.

Overview: Navigate your SeaPerch ROV through an Obstacle Course and a Mission Course including a series of tasks. Score points for time and successful task completion.

Resources

– Pool Course Build Guide & Master Parts List (COMING SOON)

– Pool Competition Rules (View Section 5, Team Handbook)

– Compliance Checklists: Stock Class (Download PDF)

– Compliance Checklists: Open Class (Download PDF)

– Mission Course Demonstration (COMING SOON)

Objective: Documents how the team applied the engineering design process to develop, test, evaluate, and refine its ROV for the competition mission.

Overview: Teams should use technical evidence—including test data, analysis, and documented design decisions—to describe the problem addressed, establish objectives and success criteria, evaluate design alternatives, justify key design choices, and demonstrate mission readiness. Rather than presenting a chronological account of the project, the TDR should focus on the engineering work most significant to the ROV’s development and performance, emphasizing iterative improvement, data-driven decision-making, critical reflection, and clear technical communication.

Need a Starting Point?

– Engineering Design Process Page

– Get inspiration from the first place TDRs from:

   – MS Stock Class (Megalodons | Mayport Coastal Sciences Middle School)

   – HS Stock Class (Stingrays | Duval County Public Schools)

   – Open Class (Anglerfish | Mayport Costal Sciences Middle School)

– Technical Design Report Scoring Rubric (Download)

Objective: Provide a concise overview of your team, ROV, and mission readiness.

Overview: Being prepared for a mission is important. This sheet provides a concise snapshot of your team, ROV, and preparation for the SeaPerch Challenge. It is designed to communicate essential information about your ROV’s design, capabilities, technical specifications, and mission strategy in an easy-to-review format.

Need a Starting Point?

– System Overview Sheet Template (Download)

Objective: Visual presentation of your team’s engineering process, ROV design, testing, and mission readiness

Overview: The Technical Design Display should communicate the most significant aspects of your engineering work through concise technical writing and purposeful use of photographs, CAD models, diagrams, graphs, tables, and other technical graphics. It is an engineering communication artifact—not a collection of photographs, a season summary, or a Technical Design Report reproduced as a poster. Select and organize information that best communicates your engineering story and supports your conclusions with evidence.

Technical Design Display Size and Orientation: A Display Template is provided below. Teams may choose not to use the 3’x4′ landscape or 4’x3′ portrait template, but the display must be no larger than 3’x4′ in landscape orientation or 4’x3′ in portrait orientation.  Displays exceeding these dimensions are not permitted.

Need a Starting Point?

– Technical Design Display Template (Download Template)

– Technical Design Display (Download PDF)

Objective: Present and discuss the engineering behind your ROV.

Overview:The Technical Interview Presentation is an oral engineering review that provides teams an opportunity to explain, defend, and demonstrate their understanding of the engineering work behind their ROV. In addition to delivering a prepared presentation, teams should be prepared to discuss how their ROV was designed, tested, evaluated, and refined for mission performance.

Objective: Use your team’s skills and interests to make an impact in your community.

Overview: Giving back to your community can take many forms. Find a good fit between what you are passionate about (or good at) and how that can meet a need in your community. Increase awareness of a topic that you care about. Get others excited about your cause or unite them in support of a common goal.

Need a Starting Point?

– Engineering in Action Scoring Instructions (Download Scoring Instructions)

– Engineering in Action Scoring Rubric (Download Scoring Rubric)

A Peer Review process will be piloted at this year’s International SeaPerch Challenge. Select teams will be invited to participate. Peer Review is not a required competition deliverable and will not affect official scores, rankings, or awards.

Objective: Peer observation and evaluation of oral and visual presentations.

Overview: The pilot will allow students to learn from other teams by observing and evaluating oral and visual presentations using a simplified student rubric. It will also help SeaPerch assess whether students can apply the rubric consistently, provide meaningful feedback, and benefit from participating in an authentic engineering review process.