December, 2013 (Ver. 4)

Building, Testing,

Evaluating, Revising Designing,Solving

Palmer station LTER was established in 1990 by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs (OPP) as

the first polar biome and Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site in the Southern Hemisphere. The objective of this

program is to understand the ecosystem’s natural seasonal changes from nearshore habitats including the continental

shelf to offshore open ocean. This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under the

NSF award ANT 1344502 and ANT-0823101.

PALMER LONG TERM ECOLOGICAL

RESEARCH

Open-ended challenges inspire students to investigate their own solutions to problems.Engineering Design Challenge

Beth Simmons (Education/Outreach Coordinator ) for Palmer LTER besimmons@oceaningenuity.org and Nell Herrmann (teacher) nherrmann@bhcs.org

2013

Polar Ambassadors from State College Area High School in Pennsylvania design a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).

Photo Credit: Nell H

errmann

Remotely-operated, underwater vehicles are complementing ship based science to aid long-term ocean exploration over a wide range of temporal and spacial-scales. These instruments survey regions and collect information by providing data and high definition visualizations of areas hard-to-explore by humans. Given the importance of the ocean in human history and its role in regulating climate, utilizing technology has become indispensable in providing valuable information to solve some of the most complex environmental issues around the world

Target Audience: Grades 9-12 Time/Duration: ~ 7 hour block

• One 1-hour background information session • One 1-hour students design brainstorm session • Three 1-hour building sessions • One 2-hour launch session

Learning Objectives and Desired Results: Student will be able to:

• Implement the STEM Design process • Work collaboratively • Examine the basics of buoyancy and how it impacts AUV and ROV performance • Identify the values of technology in science

What prior knowledge is necessary for students to complete this lesson? • Students will need to review the basic differences between ROVs and AUVs • Students will need to review how and why ROVs and AUVs are used in science exploration

Note: The instructions for Project SeaPerch (http://www.seaperch.org) are extremely well organized and thorough. The Office of Naval Research sponsors the SeaPerch program and asserts that the kits are appropriate for use with students of any age from 5th grade through college freshmen. No prior knowledge is necessary in order to complete this project, however, the video and the Power Point included with this lesson are supplemental materials to aid in implementing this lesson.

Background: As we push through the twenty first century, dramatic new developments aid scientific exploration and are inextricably tied to the success of understanding the health of our Earth’s ocean. The harsh conditions associated with ocean exploration like low temperatures, complex ocean atmospheric circulation patterns, high winds, icebergs, sea ice, or restricted sunlight all call for the application of new technologies to complement ship based science. Employing the use of tethered instruments, like Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) or small buoyancy-driven robots called Autonomous Underwear Vehicles or (AUVs) help scientists overcome the under-sampling of the open ocean, especially in remote areas like the Antarctic peninsula region and help to increase the efficiency in which scientists can make valuable connections. Automated underwater vehicles go where people cannot, filling in crucial details about weather, ecosystems and the earth’s changing climate. They ensure efficient observing and sampling of dynamic processes and help scientists better understand in real time the pronounced shifts in ecosystems that are impacted by climate change. !The differences between AUV and ROV technologies are distinct.

Remotely Operated Vehicle, or ROV, is a un-manned submersible robot controlled by a pilot who is either on land or on a ship. ROVs are highly maneuverable and are tethered, or connected, by a cable to a ship which carries power, control signals and other information back to the operator. They are an underwater extension of the pilot; and they prevent humans from having to perform deep and otherwise dangerous dive operations. ROVs have now been redesigned so they can be deployed far below the ice shelf through holes as small as 15 cm enabling scientists access to regions beyond scuba diving depths (40 - 170 m). ROVs have also been used in shallow water environments in Antarctica to survey bottom type, photograph benthic communities, and assess phytoplankton biomass. ROVs are typically outfitted with video cameras and lights and sometimes also include still cameras, sonars for mapping, sensors for measuring magnetic fields, and robotic arms for sampling or cutting. They vary tremendously in size, design and cost with prices ranging from a few thousand dollars to millions of dollars.

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, or AUV, are programmable robotic underwater vehicles. There are basically three kinds the REMUS which uses a propeller and fins for steering, the Slocum Glider which flies through the water by changing its buoyancy and those that are profiling floats. They all are geared for remote environmental monitoring. They are controlled and monitored from a centralized control center (like a ship or even a laptop) and take advantage of telecommunication technologies usually transmitted through satellite based mechanics, much like a GPS. The Slocum glider has an overall length of ~1.5 m and is rated to dive depths of 100m with an average speed of 0.4m/s. It propels itself through the water by changing its buoyancy, traveling in a saw-tooth pattern between the surface, where it connects via satellite to communicate with its mission controllers, upload its flight pattern, and share data, then back to it’s 100 m depth. Sampling strategies can be adapted in real-time to program the glider to retrieve the most relevant information for the mission. It is equipped with a modular science payload consisting of a variety of instruments like salinity, CTD meters, fluorometers, backscatter meters, and sometimes

Figure: ROV components. Photo credit: Jason Curriculum 1997

AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLES

Figure: Slocum glider components. Photo credit: Tina Haskins

Open-ended challenges inspire students to investigate their own solutions to Engineering Design Challenge

Underwater Vehicles in Antarctica Specially modified ROVs have been used in Antarctic research to study sea ice algae biomass using light sensors mounted on ROVs. Sea ice is a platform in Antarctica for juvenile krill - who feed on sea ice algae. When flying an ROV underneath the ice scientists often times use pumps to capture live larval and juvenile krill and perform experiments that measure their metabolism, their growth rates and check their stomachs for diet contents. Understanding the relationships between sea ice and krill using ROVs helps scientists make stronger connections on how climate change may be altering the structure of the zooplankton community and how these changes may be impacting the polar marine food web. !Similarly, AUVs are an alternative source for exploration and come in various types, carrying a wide range of sensors. They can be adapted to operate for months at a time, even under harsh conditions. They are used to compare changes in ocean physics and chemistry and make connections between those measurements, sea ice coverage and link those to potential species decline. !The Antarctic peninsula is undergoing the most dramatic climate-induced changes on earth and is experiencing a winter atmospheric warming of 6° Celsius since 1951. Employing the use of robotic AUVs now offers expanding capabilities for observing conditions in Antarctica to track these changes over time. !For the Palmer Long Term Ecological research program, AUVs like the Slocum glider are used to gather data on the movement of warm offshore circumpolar deep water that intrudes near the continental shelf. These upwelling areas are typically near breeding colonies of the penguins. The gliders have also documented enhanced concentrations of phytoplankton in these areas (Schofield et. al, 2013) that act as productive feeding grounds that support penguin colonies. !High resolution maps complement the data from the AUVs that penguin foraging is associated with schools of Antarctic krill and the krill in turn are presumably grazing on the phytoplankton at the shelf-slope interchange.

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Remotely Operated Vehicles

Figure: Temperature (top) and chlorophyll concentration (bottom) as measured by the Slocum glider within an Adélie penguin foraging area over the Palmer Basin. The percent of penguin foraging dives is linked with the chlorophyll data.

ROVs

AUVs

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Correlating Second Generation Science Standards: (9-12) • Engineering Design: HS-ETS1-1

o Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.

Analyze complex real-world problems by specifying criteria and constraints for successful solutions. • Engineering Design: HS-ETS1-2

o Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

• Crosscutting Concept o Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World

New technologies can have deep impacts on society and the environment. Ocean Literacy Standards:

• Principle 7: The ocean is largely unexplored. o The ocean covers 70% of the earth, but less than 5% of it has been explored, due to extreme physical

properties of the ocean that make exploration difficult (e.g. temperature, light, salinity, depth, vastness and pressure). The ability to explore the ocean depends on the development and use of new technologies, all of which have limitations.

o Tools and technologies have been developed and deployed both in outer and inner space to collect a wide variety of data from ocean systems over time and geographic location.

o Submersibles allow scientists to observe and collect data below the ocean’s surface. Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are one type of submersible.

o ROVs are underwater robots tethered (i.e. linked by a cable) to a ship and operated by a pilot on that ship. The cables carry electrical power, video, and other data signals back and forth between the pilot and the vehicle.

o ROVs can be outfitted with additional sensors and equipment, such as sonars, magnetometers, robotic arms, and water samplers, so scientists can collect data, specimens, and conduct experiments deep under the surface of the ocean.

Subject: Physical Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics Essential Questions:

1) What are the essential differences between Remotely Operated Vehicle and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles?

2) How are ROVs and AUVs used in scientific research? 3) What types of data are collected?

4) In designing and building an ROV, what scientific principles must be considered?

a. How do buoyant forces impact an vehicles ability to function?

b. How do positive, negative and neutral buoyancy relate to the design?

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INTEGRATE THE DESIGN PROCESS INTO ACTIVITIES Process credited from: The Design Squad Activity Guide produced by the WGBH Educational Outreach department.

http://pbskids.org/designsquad/pdf/parentseducators/DS_Act_Guide_complete.pdf !As kids work through a challenge, use the questions below to tie their work to specific steps of the design process. !Brainstorming • At this stage, all ideas are welcome, and criticism is not allowed. How creative can you be? • What specific goal are you trying to achieve, and how will you know if you’ve been successful? • What are some ways you can start tackling today’s challenge? !Designing • Time to get realistic. Talk through the brainstormed ideas. What’s really possible given your time, tools, and materials? • It’s not cheating to look at other kids’ projects. What can you learn by looking at them? !Building, testing, evaluating, and revising • Does your design meet the criteria for success? • What is the hardest problem to solve as you build your project? • Why do you have to do something a few times before it works the way you want? !Sharing solutions • What do you think is the best feature of your design? Why? • What are some things everyone’s designs have in common? • What would you do differently if you had more time? • What were the different steps you had to do to get your project to work the way you wanted?

THE DESIGN PROCESS When engineers solve a problem, their first solution is rarely their best. Instead, they try different ideas, learn from mistakes, and try again. The series of steps engineers use to arrive at a solution is called the design process. (illustration credit: WGBH)

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Materials: • SeaPerch Teacher Tool Bag (Each tool bag is $235. One tool bag is recommended for each ten kits and can be used

year after year) • Sea Perch Kit (Each kit is $155 and can be used with 4-6 students) !

Technology and Other Resources Needed to Complete Lesson: • Internet Access • Laptop and projector to show Power Point • Pool or body of water to test ROV. If this is unavailable, large trash cans and baby pools can be used !

Teacher Lab Preparation: • Prior to starting the activity, view the Polar Ambassadors video on the Palmer LTER Educational Resources website. http://pal.lternet.edu/outreach/multimedia/videos/• Review the Power Point presentation. • Inventory the SeaPerch Teacher Tool Bag and SeaPerch Kits. !

Teacher Procedure (Day 1): What is a Remotely Operated Vehicle or ROV? How are ROVs used in scientific research? What types of data do ROVs collect? 1. Present background information about ROVs to students, using the Power Point presentation and websites listed above. 1. Review advantages and disadvantages of ROVs using the attached “Advantages and Disadvantages of ROVs” worksheet. !Teacher Procedure (Day 2): In Designing an ROV, what scientific principles must be considered? What are Buoyant Forces-Positive/Negative/Neutral Buoyancy? What are advantages and disadvantages of using ROVs? 1. Have students complete the “Buoyant Forces Worksheet.” 2. Have students complete the “Advantages and Disadvantages of ROVs” table. Review answers. !Teacher Procedure (Day 3): How do buoyant forces impact an ROV’s ability to function? How do positive, negative and neutral buoyancy relate to ROV design? 1. Break students into teams, have them begin the design process, keeping in mind that their ROV must be able to

demonstrate positive, neutral and negative buoyancy. 2. In teams, have draw and discuss their designs. By the end of this session each team should vote on the design they will

use. The SeaPerch kit has specific instructions about how to build the ROV, but students may alter the design of their ROV depending on how they want it to fly underwater. !

Teacher Procedure (Day 4): Building the ROV 1. Provide SeaPerch kits for each team of students. 2. Allow students to familiarize themselves with the materials and the instruction manual. 3. Begin construction. 4. Construction will take approximately 5 hours. !Teacher Procedure (Days 5-8): Building the ROV 1. Provide feedback for students throughout this process. 2. Circulate amongst groups and provide extra support for students who are struggling. !Teacher Procedure (Day 9): Testing the ROV 1. Have each group begin by demonstrating positive buoyancy. 2. Have each group change the floatation on the ROV so that it demonstrates neutral buoyancy. 3. Have each group change the floatation on the ROV so that it demonstrates negative buoyancy.

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References: • http://www.seaperch.org • http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards • http://www.eduplace.com/science/profdev/articles/valentino2.html • http://oceanliteracy.wp2.coexploration.org/ • http://pbskids.org/designsquad/pdf/parentseducators/DS_TG_full.pdf !

Extensions: • OceansWide is a non-profit organization based in Newcastle, Maine that brings ROVs to schools for

demonstrations. Schedule a school visit with a real ROV pilot. For more information visit: http://www.oceanswide.org/about-the-programs/request-a-presentation/ !

• SeaPerch Buoyancy Lesson: http://www.seaperch.org/teacher_tools !

• Nautilus Live. Play a video game that allows you to change the design of your ROV and test it: http://www.nautiluslive.org/kids !

Resources: !• ROV video that shows State High students as they work through the process of building and testing a SeaPerch kit:

http://pal.lternet.edu/outreach/multimedia/videos/ • Build Your Own Underwater Robot:

http://www.westcoastwords.com/build-your-own-underwater-robot.html • Alternative sampling Platforms in the Antarctic:

http://web.vims.edu/ASP_report/index.pdf?svr=www • ROVs in Antarctica:

http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/science/contenthandler.cfm?id=2519 • Examples of ROV Design http://www.mbari.org/dmo/vessels_vehicles/rov.html • ROVs in Antarctica http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/science/contenthandler.cfm?id=2519

!!!Credits: Nell Herrmann, State College Area High School, State College, PA (nhp11@scasd.org) , Beth E. Simmons Education/Outreach Coordinator, Palmer Long Term Ecological Research program (besimmons@oceaningenuity.org)

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