Articles

Eagles Take First in Maritime RobotX Challenge

Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University students beat contestants from five different continents in the recent Maritime RobotX Challenge in Sydney, Australia, walking off with the champion banner and several other awards.

Students Debut One of the World's Most Sophisticated Autonomous Boats for its Size

On the edge of the Pacific Ocean near Honolulu this past December, an odd–looking, pilotless 16 ft.-long boat navigated an open water obstacle course, adapting to the waves and wind on the bay, launching and recovering a small submarine and then returning to dock. This boat, which did not have any place for passengers … or a driver, is called Minion. It was built by engineering student members of the Robotics Association at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University and it is possibly one the most sophisticated self-driving boats in the world for its size.

AUVSI ANNOUNCES FOURTH ANNUAL XCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

Embry-Riddle RobotX Team, Embry-Riddle Maritime RobotX Autonomous Vessel System was awarded first place by the AUVSI in 2021 for XCELLENCE in Technology for their Hardware & Systems Design.

Student-Built Maritime Robot Could Improve Search-and-Rescue Missions

But fully autonomous boats like Embry‑Riddle’s 16-foot catamaran, Minion, could make search-and-rescue missions more effective. Rather than using a large and expensive manned vessel, Minion can be configured to perform navigation and decision-making tasks such as identifying objects, shapes and performing search tasks.

Robotics Students Show Off Latest Autonomous Boat at Drone Demonstration

In lieu of attending the biennial Maritime RobotX Challenge, which was set to take place in Honolulu this past December but was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Engineering students on Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University’s Maritime RobotX Team hosted a demonstration of its latest autonomous watercraft, dubbed “Minion,” this week at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.