Dive, dive, dive! Submersible robots hit the pool.

FEDERAL WAY - Splish, splash, they were taking a bath (of sorts!)  55 teams of students, from around the world, deployed their underwater robots deep down into the depths of the Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center on Saturday.  The middle and high school students competed in the Marine Advanced Technology Education Center competition.  Their goal: to explore the emerging field of robotics technology.

The students designed and built their submersible robots, piloting their underwater vehicles as they seek to beat the clock.  The competition included a mission where the robots aim to simulate installation of scientific instruments and equipment on the "seafloor."

The majority of the student teams are from the U.S. and Canada, but also from countries like China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela.