Ōpōtiki Primary School students have made a splash at the regional Aquabots competition in Whakatāne, with one team taking out the regional title and another finishing third.

Four teams travelled to Whakatāne Aquatic Centre on Saturday to put their underwater robotics skills to the test, with Team Underwater Investigators crowned regional champions and Team Robo-Taniwha claiming third place.

The results were particularly impressive given the short time the students had to prepare. The teams built their underwater robots from scratch, developed group presentations and learned how to manoeuvre their creations through the water to complete challenging tasks and obstacle courses.

Deputy principal Matua Sekope accompanied the students to the competition and said their teamwork, problem-solving and positive attitude had been key to their success.

“Every single team stepped up with confidence to tackle the challenging underwater tasks and obstacle courses,” he said.

The competition gave students the chance to put their learning into practice, combining creativity and engineering with communication and collaboration.

Sekope said hands-on experiences such as Aquabots did more than teach technical skills, helping build confidence and spark an interest in future careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The school also acknowledged Matua Robert Briscoe and the team at East Bay REAP for their work organising the event and providing an opportunity for rangatahi to explore robotics in a practical, engaging environment.

Ōpōtiki Primary was proud of all four teams for the way they represented the school, with the results highlighting what students can achieve through teamwork, determination and a willingness to give something new a go.