Babcock partners with university in Montreal to support engineering students
Babcock is pleased to announce that it has renewed its partnership with one of Canada’s leading engineering universities, l’École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), for a third consecutive year. Through this partnership, Babcock will be supporting the school’s development fund and its student led human powered submarine racing team – OMER.
The team of students has been designing, building, and racing human powered submarines under the name “OMER” since 1992. This group of young engineering undergraduates is among the leading teams in the world, winning three trophies at last year’s European International Submarine Race in Gosport, UK. The student engineering competition fosters engagement in the ocean engineering and science disciplines as an effective way of attracting students into the maritime engineering and sciences fields.
This year the Omer team is participating at the 15th international submarine races at Bethesda in Maryland. We are proud, this year again, to count on Babcock who provide us the financial support and their expertise to improve our submarine. We are presently on our last big push to prepare the submarine before the competition in June, where we hope to establish a second speed record!
Rémy Rodrigue, Captain of the OMER team
Each team’s submarine is unique and designed from scratch. Unlike traditional submarines, human powered submarines are not airtight, and fit one or two people, depending on the model. The submarine pilot is strapped in and wears a scuba mask, breathing from a compressed air tank. The submarines are pedal powered and steered with handle bars.
Teams are encouraged to continuously innovate in order to improve their submarines. During competitions, teams are often required to solve problems on the spot, utilizing 3D printers or other tools, to ensure everything is functioning correctly. Through these competitions, the engineering students develop a wide range of practical skills and knowledge.
Babcock will be showcasing the OMER team and their submarine at this year’s Mari-Tech Conference and Exhibition, occurring April 23-25 in Ottawa. Attendees are invited to stop by the Babcock booth to see the OMER submarine and meet the students who will be representing Canada at this year’s international submarine races.
Babcock is proud to continually support the development of Canada’s next generation of engineers. In addition to financial sponsorship, Babcock also supports students through co-op internships and the development of the Babcock Canada Innovation Award, which is presented annually to ÉTS students to support their research.
Follow the ÉTS students as they design and build their innovative human powered submarine at www.clubomerets.com
About l’École de Technologie Supérieure
The goal of l’École de Technologie Supérieure is to deliver university education and conduct research in applied engineering and technology, with a view to the technological and economic development of Québec. To further this goal, the School, in collaboration with industry, orients its activities in particular toward cooperative education as well as applied research and technology transfer.
Learn more about one of Canada’s leading engineering schools: https://www.etsmtl.ca/en/ETS/About-ETS/Overview
