Hydrobots, an Underwater Robotics STEM Project: Introduction of Engineering Design Process in Secondary Education

Oct 15, 2026

This paper presents the Hydrobots project run in Greek secondary schools by the Eugenides Foundation since 2012. Inspired by MIT’s Sea Perch, it engaged 300+ student teams that built an underwater remotely operated vehicle. The program addresses the limited availability of large-scale STEM activities in Greece by applying the Engineering Design Process, developing STEM and transversal skills, and supporting experiments in marine environments. Survey results show improved attitudes, performance, and career perspectives.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

Modern Labor Market Demands and STEM Skills Acquisition

The Greek Secondary Education System – The Greek Student Profile

| | Ad | vances in Engineering Edu | cation | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | SPRING 2021 Hydrobots, an Underwater Robotics STEM Project: Introduction of Engineering Design Process in Secondary Education GEORGIOS BAMPASIDIS 20th Junior High School of Athens, Secondary Education, Greece Research Paths Glyfada, Greece DIMITRIS PIPERIDIS VASSILIS PAPAKONSTANTINOU DIMITRIS STATHOPOULOS AND CHRISTINA TROUMPETARI Eugenides Foundation Faliro, Greece PETROS POUTOS 1st Technical Vocational High School of Salamis, Secondary Education, Greece Research Paths Glyfada, Greece ABSTRACT This paper presents the project Hydrobots, which the Eugenides Foundation has run in Greek secondary education schools since 2012. It is based on the MIT’s Sea Perch project and more than 300 student teams got involved and built successfully an underwater remotely operated vehicle. The formal Greek education system lacks large-scale STEM-related activities, despite the growing demand for qualified scientists and engineers. The project serves as a great introduction to STEM disciplines through robotics, by applying the Engineering Design Process (EDP) . It creates a friendly learning environment, students learn important issues of school curriculum, develop STEM skills and competences as well as transversal skills. The project continues after the vehicle construction. Teams from vocational high schools are more focused on modifying it, while the rest teams usually use the robot for scientific experimentation in marine environments. A large number of the teams upgrade the vehicle by adding a sensor module, the Hydrosensor, provided by the Foundation too, and in some cases they improve this prototype even more. The teams, which conduct experiments with their robot, follow a specific procedure. We also present the results of a large survey among the participants, students and teachers, who evaluated the achievement of project learning objectives. The majority of the teams reported that the project ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION Hydrobots, an Underwater Robotics STEM Project: Introduction of Engineering Design Process in Secondary Education has contributed to their positive attitude towards Science and Technology, improved their performance and developed their transversal skills. Almost all the responders illustrate an enthusiastic reception of the project from the students and the school community that affected the students career perspective. The project Hydrobots seems an ideal STEM tool for those teachers in Greece who desire tobe more effective through innovation, while the involved students become familiar with STEM key aspects and the engineering thinking. Key words: STEM, secondary education, engineering design process. INTRODUCTION Modern Labor Market Demands And STEM Skills Acquisition The impact of Science and Technology in modern society is remarkable. Numerous smart devices and a wide range of innovative applications are worldwide available to everyone. These technology advents have created a need for a future workforce that today’s Europe youth is unable to fulfill, since a significant decline in STEM specialists has been recorded. European Commission (2015) reports that the STEM professional and associate occupations’ growth in Europe is assumed to be at 13% and 7% respectively until 2025. The number of STEM graduates has declined within a few years’ period. In 2012, only 23% of graduates who held STEM qualifications came from all Union’s members, while in 2007 the STEM qualified graduates were at about 22%(EC 2015) . Additionally only a short part of future job offers will be covered by today’s students (Cedefop 2018) . The US National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine describe a similar situation in the United States (2010) . Nesbit et al. (2005) present some major constraints to explain why midd

FAQs

What is the Hydrobots project and who runs it?

Hydrobots is an underwater robotics STEM project run by the Eugenides Foundation in Greek secondary education schools since 2012.

How does the project introduce the Engineering Design Process in secondary education?

The project applies the Engineering Design Process (EDP) as students build a remotely operated underwater vehicle and continue with modifications and marine experiments.

What do survey results indicate about learning outcomes?

Most teams reported positive effects on students’ attitudes toward science and technology, improved performance, and development of transversal skills, with enthusiastic reception from students and the school community.

Oct 15, 2026

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