From August 2nd through the 6th, student teams from high schools and universities around the world will gather in San Diego, CA at SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego’s TRANSDEC Facility to compete using cutting-edge technology for money and bragging rights in AUVSI and ONR’s 9th International Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition. The goals of the competition are to challenge a new generation of engineers to design and build Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) capable of performing realistic missions in the underwater environment. These missions include:
Mission #1 – Rendezvous with a “docking station.”
Mission #2 – Find and mark a break in an underwater pipeline.
Mission #3 – Home in on an acoustic beacon and breech within a marked surface zone.

This competition showcases the best and brightest minds for the future of unmanned underwatevehicles. Admission is free to the public.
2005 Competition Standings:
1stPlace: University of Florida
2ndPlace: Ecole de Technologie Superieure (Montreal)
3rdPlace: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
4thPlace: Duke University

In addition to AUVSI and ONR, the competition is supported by Applied Research Associates (ARA), The Boeing Company, DeepSea Power & Light, IXSEA, Inc., the Lindbergh Chapter of AUVSI, Lockheed Martin MS2 Undersea Systems, Naval Undersea Warfare Division – Newport, Northrop Grumman, SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego, Tachyon Networks, Inc. and Teledyne RD Instruments.

For information about ONR’s programs, go to www.onr.navy.mil.