College of Engineering and Computer Science HPS Team Wins Silver Award in Ocean Submarine Race

The College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University is proud to announce that the Human-Powered Submarine (HPS) Team, from the Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, has secured second place overall at the prestigious Gran Canaria Invitational (GCI) Submarine Race, earning the Silver Award.

The GCI Invitational, hosted in Gran Canaria, Spain, is an open-ocean, head-to-head race featuring human-powered submarines. University students and engineers are tasked with designing, building, and racing these submarines around a rectangular course in open waters. This event merges an engineering design challenge with hands-on technical skill development, all within the thrilling atmosphere of a competitive sporting event.

Points in the GCI competition were awarded in two main categories: single-sub and two-sub races. In single-sub races, teams were awarded one point for each successful run, while aborted or unsuccessful attempts received no points. Additionally, the team with the fastest run at the end of each day earned two extra points.

In two-sub races, the scoring system followed a similar structure: one point for a successful run and none for aborted attempts. However, the faster of the two submarines in any race was awarded an additional point. Over the course of the competition, which spanned two days of single-sub racing and two days of two-sub racing, the HPS team’s submarine, named Owlbacore, accumulated an impressive total of 18 points.

Although the GCI competition only recognized the top three teams, with no additional awards for performance, the HPS team distinguished itself by completing the most runs without any aborted or unsuccessful attempts—an accomplishment that highlights the submarine’s reliability and performance.

Building on their success at GCI and their previous second-place finish at the 2024 European International Submarine Races (eISR) in Gosport, England, the HPS team now aims to further enhance their performance as they prepare for the International Submarine Races (ISR18) in June of 2025. Planned upgrades to their submarine will contribute to this goal.

Under the guidance of Pierre-Philippe Beaujean, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, the team demonstrated remarkable commitment and innovation. The College of Engineering and Computer Science takes great pride in their dedication, perseverance, and exceptional accomplishments.

Photo Credit: Philippe Breton