PINKrov

09/26/2026

What’s hiding under the waters of Lake Michigan? Come find out this Sunday at HarborFest! Join us for HarborFest 2026 as we celebrate Milwaukee’s Inner Harbor with this year’s theme: "What Lies Beneath!"

We’re super excited that Dr. Ashley Lemke, underwater archaeologist and University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Associate Professor, will be there to share the incredible world of underwater archaeology and show off PINKrov!

While the student team from SFROBOTICS won't be in attendance, their amazing pink underwater ROV will be on-site. Drop by to check in with Dr. Lemke, get an up-close look at PINKrov, and discover how cutting-edge technology helps us explore ancient landscapes hidden beneath the Great Lakes.

Bring the whole family for an afternoon of cool tech, freshwater science, live music, and harbor fun!

📍 EVENT DETAILS:
🗓 Date: Sunday, September 27, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Rain or Shine!)
📍 Location: Harbor View Plaza (600 E. Greenfield Ave, Milwaukee)
🎟 Admission: FREE & All-Ages!

Tag a friend you want to bring and come discover what lies beneath!

08/24/2026

The ROV taking a little break on the bottom just off Discovery World’s floating pier, kicking back and watching the Round Gobies go about their very important goby business. Cute little guys… if you ignore the minor detail that they’re also one of the Great Lakes’ most successful and troublesome invasive species.

08/22/2026

Getting ready to make some waves at Wheels & Water at Discovery World this Sunday!

We’re adding a little extra PINKrov style, a freshly wrapped controller that will let visitors get behind the controls and try their hand at piloting the ROV.

Come find us, grab the controller, and see what it takes to explore beneath the surface. Who knows… we might find our next ROV pilot!

Dream Bigger. Dive Deeper.

08/21/2026

Exploring What Lies Beneath Lake Michigan

Earlier this week, Dr. Ashley Lemke joined WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR’s Lake Effect to talk about underwater archaeology, the incredible preservation of the Great Lakes, and the search for ancient human history beneath Lake Michigan.

We’re excited that the work of our St. Francis middle and high school students and PINKrov is part of that story!

You can read the story and listen to the 12-minute conversation here:

https://www.wuwm.com/uwm-underwater-archaeology-great-lakes-history

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.

08/14/2026

08/10/2026

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

We were incredibly fortunate to have Peter Schubert from Poseidon Robotics, join us all the way from Arizona for these first dives.

Peter’s experience in the field, and as co-owner of Poseidon Robotics, LLC, was an invaluable addition to our first expedition. Poseidon played a critical role in helping us complete one of the final pieces of the PINKrov build: a properly sized topside power system and tether capable of taking our ROV into deeper water.

And they didn’t just ship us the equipment.

Peter personally delivered the system, helped with the installation before we headed out, joined us on the boat, shared his knowledge with our students, and even deployed one of Poseidon’s own ROVs to capture video of the PINKrov doing its thing underwater.

It’s hard to put into words how grateful we are for the generosity of time, equipment, expertise, and encouragement.

We’re proud to call Poseidon Robotics, LLC an industry partner in this project, and if you’re interested in ROVs, definitely check out what they’re building. They make some seriously impressive machines.

Thank you, Peter and Poseidon Robotics, LLC, for helping us dream bigger and dive deeper.

08/07/2026

Beneath 164 feet of Lake Michigan, the Schooner Helvetia comes into view through the Cerulean Forward Looking Sonar mounted on our PINKrov. The sonar reveals the shape of this shipwreck, bringing the schooner turned barge and eventually intentionally sunk over a century ago back into view.

08/06/2026

A few images from our dive on the Schooner Helvetia! These images include both the original video screen captures and post-processed (and over processed) versions that reveal more detail of the shipwreck.

Also included is a sonar image of the Helvetia, resting 164 feet below the surface of Lake Michigan, a remarkable view of a piece of Great Lakes shipwreck history preserved on the lakebed.

08/06/2026

It's hard to put into words what this milestone means for our team.

Less than two years ago, this was just an idea. Today, our students are exploring Lake Michigan shipwrecks with an ROV they helped design, build, improve, and operate alongside incredible partners.

On Day 2, the team dove on the Schooner Helvetia, built in 1873 and intentionally sunk in 1921. Bringing history to life from beneath the surface made the experience even more meaningful.

And somehow, Day 2 raised the bar even higher, bringing excitement, nerves, and even deeper water. Every dive pushes our team a little further, building confidence, technical skills, and memories that will last a lifetime.

We're incredibly proud of these students and grateful to everyone who has believed in this journey.

Dreaming Bigger. Diving Deeper.

08/04/2026

Nearly two years ago, on September 27, 2024, at 3:00 PM, a conversation with Dr. Ashley Lemke at the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin 2024 FresH2O Partner Event sparked an idea that would change everything.

That conversation became Dreaming Bigger. Diving Deeper., a vision to take our MATE ROV Competition program beyond the competition pool and into Lake Michigan by building a ROV for real-world exploration.

This week, that vision reached a milestone we'll never forget.

The completed its first shipwreck dive, descending to 85 feet beneath Lake Michigan.

This achievement belongs to so many amazing partners who believed in a group of 7th–12th grade students and invested in their ability to do real underwater research. Thank you to Cerulean Sonar, Blue Robotics, Dead Calm Seas Marine Services, GoPro and to Poseidon Robotics, LLC, who joined us on this unforgettable first dive. We're also grateful to NOAA and the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary for helping make these experiences possible.

A special thank you to Source TEN for helping us tell the story of students who have grown beyond robotics competitions to become explorers of Lake Michigan's hidden history. From shipwrecks today to underwater archaeological sites tomorrow, these students are proving that education is most powerful when it's connected to real discovery.

I'd also like to thank the St. Francis School District for believing in what students can accomplish when they're given opportunities to solve real-world problems. Special thanks to Seth Larson, Ph.D., Mike Lewandowski, and Dr. Deb Kerr for their continued support of innovative, student-driven projects like this. Your encouragement has helped make experiences like these possible.

To every partner, sponsor, mentor, partner, educator, administrator, and supporter, thank you for believing in our students and investing in the future of underwater exploration.

Dreaming Bigger. Diving Deeper.
And yes... the "diving deeper" part gets a little more literal on Wednesday as we set our sights on 145 feet.