ROV Part 2: Tune, Finish and Complete Precision Missions

CSUSB First Star ROV — Part 2: Retrieve & Race
WOVEN
ROV Workshop
Day 2  ·  Part 2 of 3  ·  Retrieve & Race
CSUSB First Star  ·  Your ROV is built. Today it goes to work.

Day 1 you built and balanced your ROV. Today you make it precise. First you'll re-tune it, then you'll hunt weighted fish resting on the pool floor, and finally you'll go head-to-head in a series of races. Speed matters today, but control wins.

🎯 Driving Question

What makes an ROV good at precise work — raw speed, or steady control?

1
⚙️ Re-Tune Your ROV
~15 min

A robot that hovers is a robot that can work. Before missions start, get your ROV back to neutral buoyancy and make sure your grabbing tool is ready for today's job.

Check 1 — Balance & camera

Drop it in and watch from the side. Re-trim with pool noodles until it hovers. Confirm the camera is secure and the thin wire is loose and protected — never pulled tight.

Check 2 — Pick your grabber

Today's targets have two ways in: a loop on top and an open mesh body. A hook catches the loop; a narrow prong or hook can slip into the mesh. Choose or rebuild your front tool for one of those grabs, then tug-test it.

2
🐟 Meet the Sinker Fish
~10 min

Your targets are 3D-printed fish with an open, lacy mesh body and a weight sealed inside — so they sink and rest on the pool floor, like real fish that hold their spot near the bottom.

Two ways to land one
  • Hook the loop. Each fish has a zip-tie loop on top. Slide your hook under it and lift.
  • Thread the mesh. The body is full of holes — slip a prong through the lattice and carry it up.
💡 Read the water

Most fish are white or yellow. A few are blue — those are the rare catch. Spot your target with the camera before you dive on it. A slow, lined-up approach beats a fast miss every time.

3
🎣 Precision Retrieval
~35 min

Work the mission list with your team. Land as many fish as you can and bring each one all the way to the surface. Check them off as you go.

First catch — land any fish and surface it
Both grabs — land one fish by hooking the loop, and one by threading the mesh
Clear the reef — retrieve every fish from your team's marked zone
Rare blue — find and land a blue fish (bonus)
Deliver — carry a fish across the pool and drop it in the collection bin without losing it
🚀 Keep your team moving
  • Line up your approach with the camera before you grab
  • If a grab fails, change one thing — angle, depth, or tool — and try again
  • Switch drivers so everyone gets reps
  • Keep the tether clear so it never drags a fish loose
4
🏁 The Races
~30 min

Time to test your driving under pressure. Three races, run in heats. Fast is good — but a clean line usually beats a fast crash.

Race 1 — Lane Sprint

Two ROVs, two lanes. On "go," drive to the far wall, touch it, and come back. First one home wins the heat. Stay in your lane.

Race 2 — Gate Slalom (time trial)

Weave through a line of hoops or rings, in order. Fastest clean run wins. Miss or bump a gate and you add time — so control your speed.

Race 3 — Cargo Run

Same course as the slalom, but carry a fish the whole way. Drop it and you go back to the last gate. Precision under speed — the real test.

⚠️ Race rules

Race the course, not each other — no ramming or blocking another team's ROV. Every ROV has a fragile camera and wire. Each team keeps a tether marshal on deck to keep cords clear and untangled.

🧠 Think Like an Engineer

Before the finale, talk it through with your team:

  • Which grab worked better for you — the loop or the mesh? Why?
  • Where did speed cost you points or a clean run?
  • What would you change about your tool for tighter control?
  • What's the one upgrade you want before Battle Bots?
End of Part 2

You tuned for precision, cleared the reef, and raced the course. One day left: Part 3 — Battle Bots.

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