Three HCS teams place in VDMC Third Annual Digital Ship Challenge

Congratulations to three Hampton City Schools (HCS) teams who placed in the Virginia Digital Maritime Center (VDMC) Third Annual Digital Ship Challenge. Kecoughtan High School, under the direction of Austin Wagner, had teams to place second and fourth. Bethel High School had a team place third. Their instructors are Alex Minter and Kyong Kang. The event was held on April 25, 2026, with over 120 students participating from Hampton Roads.

Kecoughtan High School

Systems Team: Greater Than One

Team Captain: Mathias Ramirez 

Jayden Ellis

Skyla Powell

Bently Toth

Design Team: Guppies

Team Captain: Joetta Stevens

David Peters

Keagan Rider

Eva VanCamp

Nevayah Walker

Bethel High School

Tech Team: Bionic Bruins

Isaiah Spear-Aceves

Da'ziyah Hill

Tyler Ashley

Angelica Jones

The Design Division participants, which included 25 teams, were tasked to design and construct a functional submarine that can submerge, travel a set distance underwater, and resurface in a controlled manner. The build should have effectively managed buoyancy, stability, propulsion, and waterproofing while meeting strict size and performance constraints. This challenge highlighted engineering design, iterative testing, and creative problem solving in underwater systems.

 

The Systems Division participants, which included five teams, were tasked to analyze, build, and test a submarine freshwater piping system, then redesign it to adapt to a new spatial constraint while maintaining performance. They had to ensure the system was watertight, properly labeled, and capable of delivering accurate flow rates before and after modifications. This challenge focused on precision construction, system efficiency, and real-world problem solving through redesign.

 

The Technology Division participants, which included six teams, were tasked to design and build a remotely operated vehicle that navigates a simulated “no-visibility” underwater environment on land using sensors instead of sight. The system should have also sent and received encrypted messages and collected environmental data like temperature and pressure in real time. This challenge emphasized remote navigation, secure communication, and sensor integration in constrained conditions

 

Congratulations to all of our students who participated in this event!