Over the past week several children participating in Camp CHAOS learned about rockets and submersible robots.

Camp mentor and Nicholson Elementary teacher Michelle Carter said the four-day camp taught the younger kids about rockets, using not only stomp rockets but also those utilizing water and charges as sources of power. Stomp rockets use air discharged as a child stomps on a plastic or rubber bladder to expel air into the rocket.

Older kids in the camp constructed aquatic robots called Sea Perch, which are basically devices built from pvc pipe, an underwater motor and foam tubing. When combined with a controller, the devices are capable of becoming submerged where they can perform a number of tasks, such as picking up objects or traversing through obstacles.

Carter said the children spent three of the four camp days designing, engineering and building the Sea Perch. The fourth day was spent at the Swim Hutch were they got to operate their creations.

Kits to build the Sea Perch were provided by the Navy Research Laboratory at Stennis Space Center.

Members of the local robotics team, Team CHAOS, mentored the younger children during the camp.

Camp member Kolby Balch said he enjoyed learning about electrical currents and resistance during the camp.

Other students, like Joshua Hansen, said they enjoyed operating the Sea Perch once they were completed.