SFROBOTICS

08/21/2026

Another great example of where student robotics can take you!

We’re incredibly proud to see PINKrov, a project of SFROBOTICS, highlighted as part of Dr. Ashley Lemke’s conversation with WUWM’s Lake Effect.

Our students are taking the skills they’ve developed through robotics and applying them to real-world Great Lakes research and underwater archaeology, learning alongside professionals and contributing to work happening right here in Lake Michigan.

This is what SFROBOTICS is all about: giving students opportunities to build, explore, collaborate, and take their learning beyond the classroom.

Dreaming Bigger. Diving Deeper.

Dr. Ashley Lemke helped discover an ancient caribou hunting site beneath Lake Huron. Now, she's looking for similar sites beneath Lake Michigan.

08/18/2026

Taking the ROV beyond the pool and into Lake Michigan.

MATE ROV Competition provides incredible opportunities for students to practice real-world missions, solve problems, and develop the skills needed to design, build, and operate an underwater robot. But getting that ROV out of the pool and into Lake Michigan takes everything to another level.

Our MATE ROV Competition team started “Dreaming Bigger, Diving Deeper” with the goal of doing exactly that, taking what students learned through competition and applying it to real-world exploration and research.

This summer, that meant working alongside UWM underwater archaeologist Dr. Ashley Lemke and the NOAA's Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, deploying our student-built ROV on actual shipwrecks beneath Lake Michigan.

From pool missions to open water. From competition challenges to underwater archaeology. The team dreamed bigger, and they’ve definitely dived deeper.

As we look to 2027, we'll be back in the pool, but our ROV hearts will be in deeper water.

Who knows where this team, or the ROV, will go next?

Learn more about the project: https://pinkrov.org

Note: Images have been post-processed from video screenshots captured by a second ROV flown alongside us by one of our project partners, Poseidon Robotics. Check out their work at https://poseidonrov.com/.

08/14/2026

08/10/2026

Moments from our first ROV dives on the Selah Chamberlain and Schooner Helvetia.

08/07/2026

Check this out! A sonar view of the Schooner Helvetia mapping out the entire wreck.

08/06/2026

From diving the Schooner Helvetia, built in 1873 and intentionally sunk in 1921, to exploring even deeper waters, Day 2 was another unforgettable milestone as our students continued turning history into hands-on STEM learning beneath the surface of Lake Michigan.

08/06/2026

A glimpse beneath the surface, check out our PINKrov team's original and post-processed images from their dive on the Schooner Helvetia, revealing the hidden history resting beneath Lake Michigan.

08/04/2026

One conversation. Countless partnerships. One unforgettable milestone.

Our PINKrov team just completed its first 85-foot shipwreck dive in Lake Michigan, proving what's possible when students are given opportunities to dream big and tackle real-world challenges.

Read the full story from our PINKrov team below!

07/11/2026

We're excited to see "Code the Hoan" officially launch and proud to have been part of the journey through our Codemke collaboration!

Projects like this remind us what happens when students are given authentic challenges and the opportunity to create something that reaches far beyond the classroom. Our students didn't just learn to code, they helped build, test, refine, and shape an experience that will now inspire future learners across our community.

A shoutout to Desiree, Emmitt, Nadia, and the many other members of SFROBOTICS who believed in this project from the beginning. Your creativity, persistence, and willingness to tackle new challenges helped turn an idea into a reality. We couldn't be more proud of what the team has accomplished.

Thank you to our incredible partners at Light the Hoan for believing in the vision and creating a program that makes coding interactive, creative, and accessible. We'd also like to thank Gearbox Labs for their support, technical expertise, and the connections that helped bring this project to life.

This is what SFROBOTICS is all about, students solving real-world problems, building meaningful partnerships, and creating opportunities that extend well beyond robotics competitions.

Be sure to check out Light the Hoan's announcement and learn more about the incredible "Code the Hoan" program!

07/03/2026

We're incredibly proud of what our PINKrov students have accomplished and grateful for the amazing partners and supporters helping make these authentic learning experiences possible. If you're able to help us reach the finish line, we'd truly appreciate your support or a share of the campaign!

We're in the home stretch!

Thanks to the incredible support of our community, PINKrov is now just $450 away from reaching our $1,600 GoFundMe goal!

Even more exciting, thanks to the generosity of Poseidon Robotics, LLC and Peter Schubert, our professional surface power supply is officially in production. This is a huge milestone that brings our students one step closer to conducting longer, safer, and more capable underwater missions in Lake Michigan.

Every donation, share, and word of encouragement has helped turn an ambitious classroom idea into a real-world opportunity. If you're able to help us close that final $450, we'd be incredibly grateful. And if a donation isn't possible, sharing our campaign helps us reach others who may want to support the next generation of explorers, engineers, and scientists.

🌊 Support the mission: https://www.gofundme.com/f/pinkrov
🌊 Learn more: https://pinkrov.org

Thank you for helping our students continue Dreaming Bigger. Diving Deeper.

Photo: This image was taken during a recent presentation by Dr. Ashley Lemke at the Milwaukee Public Museum, where students had the opportunity to showcase their work, demonstrate the project, and engage with audience members about the exciting possibilities of underwater robotics and freshwater exploration.