Ok. Before I get too flamed, I did a quick search on older suggestions and didn't see anything along these lines mentioned.

I think it would be neat for the two teams to have to build a remote controlled submersible to traverse an underwater obsticle course and then salvage something small (or a few small things, ie rings, a small box, the other teams submersible) from the bottom. This is a hybrid of the earlier two underwater challenges. It should be possible to build a device in under 10 hours. The teams could have to incorporate a camera to guide it from on deck, or perhaps again in an aquarium. I find this idea interesting because the teams have to cope with keeping their electronics watertight, underwater propulsion and guidance and bouyancy, especially if they have to traverse obstacles and recover something back to the surface. Are they going to use a piviting propulsion system, or a release for balast etc.

And yes.. I know we've seen submersibles and underwater recovery, but never the two, and remotely controlled, and how many times have we seen race cars of some sort ;}

Gimme your .02

-John

-- John Newman (jcnewman@buffalo.edu), January 30, 2001