Our First Outing!

November 17, 2016
On Friday, November the 4th, we took advisor Nathaniel Osborn’s sailboat out onto the waters of the Indian River Lagoon to get our first official look at the Kilroy, which we will be working with over the duration of our project.

Our team’s advisors: Karlheinz Haas (left) and Nathaniel Osborn (right).

After grabbing lunch at school, we boarded one of our school buses and took off to the boat at Manatee Pocket, a gorgeous area of the Indian River Lagoon with rich underwater life and a Kilroy located in the center of it!
We met up with two of the ORCA (Ocean Research Conservation Association) team members, Jim and Retta. They gave us a detailed explanation of what the Kilroy does, how it works, and how our InvenTeam will maintain the machine. After gaining knowledge about the mechanics of a Kilroy, we set out on the water, taking in the beautiful views, ready to encounter the Kilroy first-hand.

The Pine School Lemelson-MIT Inventeam listens to two of the ORCA team members about Kilroys and the Indian River Lagoon.

We all knew from previous knowledge that the Indian River Lagoon consists of brackish water, a relatively even mixture of fresh and saltwater. However, the majority of our team did not know the amount of chemicals and maintenance a Kilroy demands. The ORCA team showed us the control box, located on a piling in the middle of the Lagoon. We were not able to see the Kilroy being as it is located under the surface of the Lagoon, but we plan to eventually dive down and observe the actual contraption. The team members gave us great confidence in that they will assist in making our invention successful; they gave us valuable tips on potential materials and ways for a more simplified construction process.

We are so excited to embark on this creative and scientific journey!

By: Maddy Minelli, Sophia Siegel, and Ali McClimond