A team of students from Santa Cruz County high schools won first place at an international underwater robotics competition last weekend.
The 21-member Hephaestus Robotics team on Saturday edged out 46 other teams from 13 countries within the Marine Advanced Technology Education Remotely Operated Vehicles Competition’s Ranger class. This year’s title is a first for the team, which previously won third place at the same competition in 2024 and 2025.
“This championship is the result of years of student leadership, mentorship, problem-solving, and persistence,” said Faris Sabbah, Santa Cruz County superintendent of schools, in a press release by the county Office of Education.
As part of the competition, teams were tested on their vehicles’ ability to collect data, deploy monitoring technologies and support offshore energy systems. Teams were also expected to run their projects like a company, including developing marketing materials and budgets.
The Marine Advanced Technology Education Remotely Operated Vehicles Competition is supported by the National Science Foundation. It aims to “inspire the next generation of ocean problem-solvers,” according to the competition’s website.
“Competing on the world stage against so many talented teams was an unforgettable experience,” the team’s mission director, Sam Imahara of Kirby School, a private school in Santa Cruz, said in the press release.
Prior to the competition, the team spent nine months preparing, including hundreds of hours practicing in a pool, according to lead mentor Tim Sylvester.
Hephaestus Robotics was formed as part of a collaboration between the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and STEAM education nonprofit X Academy. The partnership offers robotics clubs free of charge to high school students.
