A group of Christchurch school students is preparing to represent New Zealand on the world stage after winning a national underwater robotics competition.
The team from St Mark’s School—made up of Year 6 and 7 pupils Quinn Rudkin, Zaia Ormandy, Violet James and Leo Davey—has been invited to compete at the prestigious International SeaPerch Challenge near Washington, DC at the end of May.
Known as Team DOT BOT, the students secured the opportunity after winning both the regional and national underwater robotics titles, making them current New Zealand champions.
The young team built their robot entirely from scratch using donated parts and leftover materials.
“Their bot is basically a PVC square with three little 12-volt motors. One controls buoyancy, and the others steer left and right,” said a parent of one of the team members. “They’ve learned how to build, test, fix, and improve their design all by themselves. It’s incredible” one of the parents told chrislynchmedia.com.
Winners of the Primary Division of the Canterbury Regional Aquabot Competition
The international competition simulates real-world marine challenges. Teams must navigate their robot through underwater obstacle courses, complete tasks such as retrieving objects like coral, and provide documentation on their design and ocean sustainability solutions—including topics like flood prevention and protecting marine ecosystems.
The team’s resilience under pressure was tested during the national finals.
“One of the motors failed during the competition. They had to pull the whole bot apart on the side of the pool and rebuild it with the clock ticking,” the parent said. “To see kids that young stay calm, problem-solve, and pull together as a team—it was amazing. They just got on with it.”
The team is scheduled to fly out on May 25, travelling via Houston before heading to Washington, where they’ll spend two days competing at a university campus near the city.
“When they won in Auckland, we were there with the other parents, and there were tears. Everyone was overcome with emotion and excitement. It’s just a surreal feeling,” the parent said.
To help cover travel costs, a fundraising sausage sizzle will be held this Sunday at Mitre 10 on Brougham Street in Christchurch.
“We’re doing everything we can to support the team. The kids have put so much work into this, and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If anyone’s in the area on Sunday, grab a sausage and support the next generation of Kiwi innovators.”
To support Team DOT BOT’s journey to Washington, donations can be made at:
givealittle.co.nz/cause/from-national-champions-to-international-dreams.
