The Helix Robosub club is an underwater autonomous robotics program aimed to compete in “Robosub” a yearly, international underwater autonomous robotics competition.

They program, build, and test their own robot to compete. After about a year and a half of hard work and planning, they were able to attend Robosub 2023 over the summer. The competition was hosted at NIWC Pacific’s TRANSDEC, a local naval base and they had entries from all over the world, including top colleges and universities.

The Helix team, composed of Aleksander Talamantez, Julian Saquic and Leo Galindo, made it to the semifinals.

They assembled and programmed their sub, which successfully completed the required route of going through a gate, auto-adjusting to the course, and hitting an underwater obstacle. They also won a sponsored award of $3,000 worth of sensors from Blue Robotics with imaging sonar, an altimeter, and an incredible depth sensor which will help them monumentally for Robosub 2024.

“Robosub 2023 was a testament to the power of community and determination. We encountered challenges that pushed us beyond our limits, but through unity and perseverance, we were able to meet our goals. From early mornings at school to late nights in our mentor’s garage, every moment counted. And then, the ultimate reward – witnessing our efforts come to life at the competition!” said team leader Talamantez.

And although the team worked very hard, they recognize that none of this would have been possible without the people who supported them, like Team Inspiration for their mentorship, parents and club advisor and Helix science teacher, Mr. Jacoway. 

“This experience has taught us that with a lot of work, help from the community, and maybe a little luck, there’s no limit to what can be accomplished. We were able to meet many other teams and universities such as Cornell, SDSU, and the University of Singapore. Overall, it was an amazing experience for everyone and we look forward to this upcoming year!” added Talamantez.

We are so proud of these students for their amazing accomplishments.

For more information about the Helix Robosub Club, visit helixsubs.com.

Editor’s note: Lauren Knuth is the community relations & engagement coordinator at Helix Charter High School.