A multi-disciplinary team of undergraduate students from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Marine Institute have taken home various prizes from an international robotics contest.

Since being founded in 2002, Eastern Edge Robotics has designed and built Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to international standards to model real-world ocean-workplace scenarios.

This year, the team competed at the 2025 MATE ROV World Championship in Alpena, Michigan in a competition organized into five competition classes – Scout, Navigator, Ranger, Pioneer and Explorer. 

This year’s tasks involved measuring and identifying shipwrecks, collecting eDNA data of invasive marine species and maintaining marine renewable energy infrastructure and monitoring its environmental impact.

The team was awarded third place in the most advanced category, Explorer. Team CEO Martha Snelgrove also received the Martin Klein MATE Mariner Medal, and ROV pilot Kaitlin Healey took home the Oceaneering Co-Pilot Award.

Western Wave Robotics, with a team comprised of students from Memorial’s Grenfell Campus and College of the North Atlantic, competed in the Pioneer class for the first time. They placed fourth and received the Engineering Presentation award.

In the Ranger category, Labrador Straits Academy received the Technical Documentation Award and placed within the top 15 teams. Clarenville High School placed within the top 10 and Holy Heart of Mary finished within the top 20.

“It’s incredible to see five provincial teams competing on a global scale,” said Joe Singleton, head, School of Ocean Technology and Regional Coordinator for the MATE ROV Newfoundland and Labrador regional competition.

“Eastern Edge has now placed within the top three at the competition 13 times, which is a major accomplishment. This was also a fantastic showing for our Pioneer team Western Wave and our three Ranger teams.”

Next year, MI will host the 2026 MATE ROV World Championship.

This will be the third time the Marine Institute has hosted the World Championships; first in 2007 and again in 2015. To date, the Institute has been the only venue to host the World Championships outside of the U.S.

“With a strong showing at this year’s World Championships, we’re excited to see how our teams perform on their home turf next year,” said Singleton.