College Intern Helps Robots Navigate Ocean Depths at MIT

Ivy Mahncke got to do something most college interns only dream about: watch her code dive into the Atlantic Ocean and actually work.

The Olin College robotics student spent summer 2025 at MIT Lincoln Laboratory tackling one of underwater exploration's biggest headaches. GPS doesn't work beneath the waves, making navigation a constant challenge for divers and robotic vehicles trying to work together.

Mahncke developed algorithms that help human divers and robots figure out where they are and where they're going, even in the GPS-dead zone underwater. She didn't just write code in a lab and hope for the best. She got her hands wet testing it in the Charles River, Lake Superior, and the Atlantic Ocean.

The trust her team showed her made all the difference. When field tests ramped up, a lead engineer handed Mahncke her laptop and said, "I trust you to go do them." Suddenly, the intern wasn't just observing but running critical tests as one of the lead field testers.

"I really felt that my supervisors saw me as the future generation of engineers," Mahncke said. Her supervisor Madeline Miller agreed, noting they "figuratively threw her right in the water, and she not only floated, but played an integral part in our program's ability to hit several reach goals."

The work comes at a crucial time. As ocean exploration expands for research, conservation, and industry, reliable underwater navigation becomes more essential. These algorithms could help scientists map unexplored ocean floors, assist in marine conservation efforts, and improve underwater rescue operations.

Why This Inspires

Mahncke's journey shows how giving young talent real responsibility creates breakthrough moments. She wasn't stuck making coffee or filing papers. Her mentors handed her meaningful challenges and the freedom to solve them, turning a summer internship into work that's already being used in operational underwater vehicles.

The experience proves that the next generation of engineers doesn't need to wait years to make real contributions. Sometimes they just need someone willing to hand them a laptop and say, "I trust you."

Ocean exploration just got a little easier, thanks to one student's summer coding by the sea.