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Welcome to the 2026 MATE ROV World Tour, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Season one

2026: Fresno to Newfoundland

The mission theme followed the UN Ocean Decade: invasive species detection, iceberg monitoring in the North Atlantic, and maintaining Blue Economy infrastructure.

  1. Fall 2025

    Company formed

    An open forum settles the structure: a C-suite and subsystems, each with a lead. Members try every subsystem before choosing.

    Open this chapter2 moments
    AVI Robotics' first group photo, fall 2025, in front of the Lyles College of Engineering
  2. Jan – Feb 2026

    Design and prototypes

    Every subsystem works to a dated master timeline with reports due on Mondays and progress checks every Friday.

    Open this chapter5 moments
    Assembling the PVC test frame on the lawn before a water test
  3. Mar – Apr 2026

    Water testing

    Leak hunting with sponges inside the pressure hull, a one-week saltwater corrosion test on the T-slot rail, then a successful April 4 water test and qualification practice.

    Open this chapter5 moments
    Lowering the first ROV prototype into the water, March 21, 2026
  4. Apr 25

    Monterey regional, as volunteers

    SMS didn't compete in Monterey. Members volunteered as judges and helped the organizers run the event.

    Open this chapter1 moments
    AVI and SMS members together at the 2026 MATE Monterey regional
  5. May 2026

    Pilots, GUI and documentation

    Pilots trained on ThrustMaster flight sticks with 44 programmable buttons. The full GUI came together and the technical documentation was submitted.

    Open this chapter4 moments
    ROSIE beside the pilot station and flight sticks during setup
  6. June 4

    Pool test with guests

    A full run of ROSIE and ADAM at the Fresno State pool, with Fresno State's president, the Lyles College dean and Precision Civil Engineering's owner watching from the deck.

    Open this chapter4 moments
    SMS members lying on the pool deck to lower ADAM, the profiling float, into the water while a guest watches
  7. June 17

    Joint showcase with Crush Depth

    One last run before Worlds, alongside Crush Depth, the Clovis Community College team where AVI's founders started.

    Open this chapter3 moments
    ROSIE in the Fresno State pool, seen from the deck
  8. June 22 – 28

    World Championship, St. John's

    Thirteen students and two robots fly from LAX to St. John's, Newfoundland.

    Open this chapter6 moments
    Sequoia Marine Solutions team behind a Fresno State table with ROSIE and the float
  9. 2027

    Explorer class. In progress.

    A bigger class, harder missions and a new robot. The 2027 build is happening right now on Friday nights.

    Join the build
Back to the full timeline

Fall 2025

Company formed

An open forum settles the structure: a C-suite and subsystems, each with a lead. Members try every subsystem before choosing.

  1. Sept 2025 Structure writtenCEO, COO and CTO at the top; financing, marketing and deck management; ROV and float subsystems underneath.
  2. Fall 2025 Research and idea workshopsA study of past MATE teams and the Chief Design Officer's idea-generation workshops, which produced the harpoon manipulators.

Up next · Jan – Feb 2026 Next chapter

Sept 2025 · Company formed

Structure written

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AVI's first team leads on a playground climbing frame, fall 2025

CEO, COO and CTO at the top; financing, marketing and deck management; ROV and float subsystems underneath.

Fall 2025 · Company formed

Research and idea workshops

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A study of past MATE teams and the Chief Design Officer's idea-generation workshops, which produced the harpoon manipulators.

Back to the full timeline

Jan – Feb 2026

Design and prototypes

Every subsystem works to a dated master timeline with reports due on Mondays and progress checks every Friday.

  1. Jan 16 Spring semester starts
  2. Jan 26 Subsystem timelines due
  3. Feb 2 – 7 Electronics selected and orderedFor both the ROV and the float, after an estimated-expenses report.
  4. Feb 16 Tether finished
  5. Feb 23 First prototypes dueChassis and propulsion, manipulators, ROV electronics and the competition props.

Up next · Mar – Apr 2026 Next chapter

Jan 16 · Design and prototypes

Spring semester starts

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Part of “Design and prototypes”, Jan – Feb 2026.

Jan 26 · Design and prototypes

Subsystem timelines due

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Part of “Design and prototypes”, Jan – Feb 2026.

Feb 2 – 7 · Design and prototypes

Electronics selected and ordered

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For both the ROV and the float, after an estimated-expenses report.

Feb 16 · Design and prototypes

Tether finished

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Part of “Design and prototypes”, Jan – Feb 2026.

Feb 23 · Design and prototypes

First prototypes due

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Chassis and propulsion, manipulators, ROV electronics and the competition props.

Back to the full timeline

Mar – Apr 2026

Water testing

Leak hunting with sponges inside the pressure hull, a one-week saltwater corrosion test on the T-slot rail, then a successful April 4 water test and qualification practice.

  1. Mar 9 ROV GUI finished
  2. Mar 16 Chassis, manipulator and float hardware finished
  3. Mar 21 First water test
  4. Apr 4 Successful water test
  5. Apr 10 – 24 Qualification practicePractice runs for the qualification video.

Up next · Apr 25 Next chapter

Mar 9 · Water testing

ROV GUI finished

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Part of “Water testing”, Mar – Apr 2026.

Mar 16 · Water testing

Chassis, manipulator and float hardware finished

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Part of “Water testing”, Mar – Apr 2026.

Mar 21 · Water testing

First water test

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A member in the pool at night guiding the prototype during a water test

Apr 4 · Water testing

Successful water test

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An early ROSIE prototype with a PVC frame by a backyard pool

Apr 10 – 24 · Water testing

Qualification practice

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Practice runs for the qualification video.

Back to the full timeline

Apr 25

Monterey regional, as volunteers

SMS didn't compete in Monterey. Members volunteered as judges and helped the organizers run the event.

  1. Apr 25 Judging and helping out

Up next · May 2026 Next chapter

Apr 25 · Monterey regional, as volunteers

Judging and helping out

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AVI volunteers poolside at the MATE Monterey regional
Back to the full timeline

May 2026

Pilots, GUI and documentation

Pilots trained on ThrustMaster flight sticks with 44 programmable buttons. The full GUI came together and the technical documentation was submitted.

  1. May 2 – 3 Pilot selection and flight-stick testingCandidate pilots fly ROSIE in a backyard pool.
  2. May 4 Tether counter and float GUI finished
  3. May 11 Full GUI finished
  4. May 21 Technical documentation submitted

Up next · June 4 Next chapter

May 2 – 3 · Pilots, GUI and documentation

Pilot selection and flight-stick testing

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ROSIE flying in a backyard pool during pilot selection, May 2026

Candidate pilots fly ROSIE in a backyard pool.

May 4 · Pilots, GUI and documentation

Tether counter and float GUI finished

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Part of “Pilots, GUI and documentation”, May 2026.

May 11 · Pilots, GUI and documentation

Full GUI finished

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Part of “Pilots, GUI and documentation”, May 2026.

May 21 · Pilots, GUI and documentation

Technical documentation submitted

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Part of “Pilots, GUI and documentation”, May 2026.

Back to the full timeline

June 4

Pool test with guests

A full run of ROSIE and ADAM at the Fresno State pool, with Fresno State's president, the Lyles College dean and Precision Civil Engineering's owner watching from the deck.

  1. June 4 ROSIE dives
  2. June 4 Under the surface
  3. June 4 Guests under the tent
  4. June 4 ADAM goes inLowering the float into the water by hand.

Up next · June 17 Next chapter

June 4 · Pool test with guests

ROSIE dives

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ROSIE diving in the Fresno State pool, seen from the deck above

June 4 · Pool test with guests

Under the surface

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ROSIE under the surface of the Fresno State pool

June 4 · Pool test with guests

Guests under the tent

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Guests and SMS members gathered around ROSIE under the tent at the June 4 pool test

June 4 · Pool test with guests

ADAM goes in

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A member lowers ADAM, the profiling float, into the Fresno State pool

Lowering the float into the water by hand.

Back to the full timeline

June 17

Joint showcase with Crush Depth

One last run before Worlds, alongside Crush Depth, the Clovis Community College team where AVI's founders started.

  1. June 17 ROSIE in the water
  2. June 17 On deck
  3. June 17 Both teamsSMS and Crush Depth together at the Fresno State pool.

Up next · June 22 – 28 Next chapter

June 17 · Joint showcase with Crush Depth

ROSIE in the water

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ROSIE underwater, seen from above, trailing its tether

June 17 · Joint showcase with Crush Depth

On deck

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ROSIE on the pool deck at Fresno State, thrusters and claw facing the camera

June 17 · Joint showcase with Crush Depth

Both teams

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SMS and Crush Depth together at the Fresno State pool after the joint showcase

SMS and Crush Depth together at the Fresno State pool.

Back to the full timeline

June 22 – 28

World Championship, St. John's

Thirteen students and two robots fly from LAX to St. John's, Newfoundland.

  1. June 22 Travel and check-in
  2. June 23 – 24 Safety inspections
  3. June 25 – 27 Competition days
  4. June 27 Engineering Presentation award, 102/100
  5. June 27 Three California teams, one stageSequoia Marine Solutions, Clovis Community College's Crush Depth and Cal Poly Pomona's Pomona Subsea Initiative together on stage when Pomona took second place in the Pioneer class.
  6. June 28 Home to Fresno

June 22 · World Championship, St. John's

Travel and check-in

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SMS checking in at the 2026 World Championship

June 23 – 24 · World Championship, St. John's

Safety inspections

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ROSIE and ADAM on the Fresno State display table at Worlds

June 25 – 27 · World Championship, St. John's

Competition days

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The Ocean Engineering Research Centre wave tank in St. John's

June 27 · World Championship, St. John's

Engineering Presentation award, 102/100

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SMS on stage receiving the Engineering Presentation Award in St. John's

June 27 · World Championship, St. John's

Three California teams, one stage

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Sequoia Marine Solutions, Clovis Community College's Crush Depth and Cal Poly Pomona's Pomona Subsea Initiative together on the awards stage in St. John's

Sequoia Marine Solutions, Clovis Community College's Crush Depth and Cal Poly Pomona's Pomona Subsea Initiative together on stage when Pomona took second place in the Pioneer class.

June 28 · World Championship, St. John's

Home to Fresno

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The SMS team in front of the World Championship backdrop in St. John's

Engineering Presentation Award · Pioneer class

An all-time record for the class, plus the fourth-highest overall Pioneer score. For 2027, SMS moves up to Explorer.

SMS on stage receiving the Engineering Presentation Award in St. John's

Watch

The season on video.

1 / 3 SMS 2026 hype video

  1. SMS 2026 hype video
  2. 2026 engineering presentation
  3. 2026 MATE qualification video

St. John's, Newfoundland · June 2026

The SMS team in front of the World Championship backdrop in St. John's
ROSIE on the floor of a locker-lined hallway at Worlds
SMS outside the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland
A team member jumping for the camera outside the venue in St. John's
ROSIE and ADAM on the Fresno State display table at Worlds
The Ocean Engineering Research Centre wave tank in St. John's
Team members laughing while waiting to check in
Team members holding up ADAM in the hallway at Worlds
A member in a life vest on the wave tank deck
ROSIE on the Fresno State table at Worlds
The team seated together at the opening ceremony
Team members in captain hats outside the competition venue
A member working on electronics in the hallway before inspections
Teams from around the world under national flags at the awards ceremony
A stone building in downtown St. John's, Newfoundland
SMS checking in at the 2026 World Championship
The SMS team together outside on the last competition day
Sequoia Marine Solutions team behind a Fresno State table with ROSIE and the float
Team members holding up their new competitor badges at check-in
The team gathered around ROSIE and ADAM at the Fresno State display table
3D-printed thruster mounts laid out on the Fresno State table
SMS members meeting other teams in the lobby before the opening ceremony
A grinning team member pointing at his Worlds badge outside the venue
Trading stories with a team from another country before the opening ceremony
Two members checking ADAM's clear float tube before its run
SMS walking a judge through ROSIE during safety inspection
Our pilot in a captain's hat at the controls during a run
The team hamming it up on the lawn outside the Marine Institute
A member tuning ADAM's electronics on the bench at the wave tank
Team members chatting outside in the St. John's sunshine
The team on a staircase before the awards ceremony
Waiting in the lobby, lit purple, before the awards ceremony
SMS cheering from the seats as the awards are announced
The team huddled together after the awards ceremony
A team selfie in the auditorium after the awards

Submission documents

Read what we turned in.

Everything SMS submitted to MATE for the 2026 World Championship. PDFs open in a new tab.

SMS's 2026 marketing display poster: ROSIE, ADAM, design rationale and the company roster