17 Nov

Crossing The Delaware

This week, students from Philadelphia’s Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School crossed the Delaware River to present their underwater rover project in Trenton, N.J. The students dropped some submersible science on the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), an interstate agency that regulates the protection and conservation of the Delaware.

In front of an impressive group of hydrologists, biologists, engineers and other DRBC staff, the 11th and 12th graders detailed last year’s progression from working with Arduinos, sensors and motors to building the OpenROV kit and launching it in Frankford Creek to observe aquatic life. The audience had plenty of feedback, including suggestions for mounting dissolved oxygen and pressure sensors on the rover, as well as a possible (and long sought-after) nickname: Frankie, after its maiden voyage in Frankford Creek. Thanks to DRBC for recognizing all the time and effort put in by the Mariana Bracetti STEM club.