Pupils from a north-east secondary school will travel to Houston later this month to take part in the finals of a robot building challenge.
Mintlaw Academy emerged triumphant in the Scottish leg of the annual competition earlier this year with the help of a local firm to get them to Texas.
The Marine Advanced Technology Education Centre (MATE) ROV challenge, which encourages schools to build a machine capable of surviving the harshness of both space and the ocean, culminates on June 25 at the Nasa Space Centre.
Aberdeen’s Hydro Group helped the youngsters earn their place at the finals, providing them with cable mount connectors for its ROV and inviting them to tour the company’s workshop.
Ali Hynd, head of technology for Mintlaw Academy, said: “We are so proud of the team for reaching this stage of the competition, and everyone is thrilled about going to Nasa for the finals.
“Companies like Hydro Group, which have a true commitment and drive to help young people and encourage the workforce of tomorrow, are invaluable for the future of the industry.
“We’re incredibly grateful for their support on the project, and look forward to arranging further visits to the workshop, so that more students can benefit from seeing first-hand the work it does.”
Craig Reid, production manager at Hydro Group, added: “The students’ enthusiasm when we showed them around the workshop was fantastic.
“As a former pupil of Mintlaw Academy, it was great to show the students hands-on what we do, and that there are really exciting and innovative developments happening where they live, with significant opportunities for their future career aspirations.”
The MATE ROV challenge has taken place annually since 2001, involving teams from across the world including Scotland, Hong Kong and Turkey.
