The Office of Naval Research hosted its 16th annual RoboBoat competition for teams of students to assemble and navigate autonomous unmanned surface vehicles in Florida. The competition supports STEM education and acts as a potential workforce supply for the Department of the Navy. Winners were announced on 28 March with Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, East Java, Indonesia, taking first place in the autonomy challenge.

The annual RoboBoat competition, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), recently brought together teams of students from around the world in Sarasota, Florida. The competition challenges students to assemble and navigate autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USV) through real-world challenges such as coastal surveillance, port security, and oceanographic exploration. The competition aims to engage and motivate students, from elementary to university level, in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). RoboBoat is also a way for the Department of the Navy (DoN) to recruit a technologically advanced workforce capable of making substantive contributions to the emerging field of maritime autonomy. ONR distributes information about internships and graduate-level scholarships to participants, helping to further their STEM opportunities and supporting the DoN’s recruitment efforts. The competition not only challenges students but also facilitates networking opportunities, promoting collaboration and shared learning. The winners of this year’s competition were announced on March 28, and more than 20 monetary awards were presented to the winners. The Naval STEM Coordination Office, located at ONR, oversees investments in education, outreach, and workforce initiatives, and last year, DoN outlined its five-year plan to advance STEM through competitions and events like RoboBoat to cultivate the technical workforce needed for the Navy and Marine Corps to remain on the leading edge of scientific innovation.