Eagle Team Brings Home Multiple Awards From Maritime RobotX Challenge

Adam Lachguar, an Embry-Riddle senior in Electrical Engineering who first participated in the Maritime RobotX Challenge as a freshman, said being involved in the international robotic water vehicle competition has had a major impact on his academic trajectory and his progress toward working in the robotics industry.

Lachguar said the competition has also helped him meet professionals in autonomy and robotics and make professional connections. Last summer, he interned at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Keyport, Washington. This year, he and his teammates met Rear Admiral Kurt J. Rothenhaus, the U.S. Navy’s chief of naval research.

“Since I started participating in RobotX very early in my academic career, I've been surrounded by students from all sorts of backgrounds and education levels (from undergraduates to Ph.D. candidates),” Lachguar said. "Being in this environment that fosters hard work, creativity and innovation has had a major impact on my academics and my career prospects — allowing me to use the skills I learn in class and being able to apply them to a real-life project.”

Sagar Sarkar, who is earning a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, shows off equipment at the RobotX competition. (Photo: RoboNation)

In this year's Maritime RobotX Challenge, the Embry‑Riddle team came in third overall, competing against student teams from five continents.

The team also earned several other awards in specific categories, including second place in the Design Documentation Awards, Best Technical Design Report and the Technical Innovation Award. The 2024 competition was held in November in Sarasota, Florida.

Dr. Eric Coyle, professor of Mechanical Engineering and the team's faculty advisor, said the challenge was highly competitive this year.

“On the whole, the other teams’ systems were more capable than any prior RobotX competition,” he said, adding that Embry-Riddle is the only school to have finished in the top four of every RobotX competition, which has been held every two years since 2014. In 2020, the competition was canceled because of Covid.

Coyle agreed that the professional connections that result from the competition are one of its main benefits.

“The competition provides a valuable professional development opportunity by showcasing our students’ work to technical experts within the field of autonomy and maritime systems,” he said. “A large number of the judges work for the Department of the Navy, so we get a chance to show what Embry-Riddle can do relative to our peers.”

Giovanna Ucles, a junior in Aerospace Engineering who is also completing an accelerated master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, described the competition as "an opportunity to take what you learn in class and work in a team to really put those skills to use." She also said RobotX is a lot of fun and offers a chance to make friends from different countries.

Sagar Sarkar, who is earning a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, said he got involved in the RobotX Challenge after taking a class called Unmanned Systems with Coyle. Sarkar said his career plans include passing the baton to other aspiring engineers.

“After completing my Ph.D., I plan to work in the industry for several years as a researcher or robotics software engineer,” Sarkar said. “Eventually, I aim to transition back into academia to teach and inspire the next generation.”

Posted In: Engineering | Uncrewed Systems