S.C.A.L.Y: Oakridge Students Reimagine Deep-Sea Exploration
- 6 October 2026
Did you know that much of the deep ocean remains unexplored despite covering over 70% of our planet? The extreme pressure, darkness, and challenging underwater conditions make ocean exploration one of the world’s most complex scientific pursuits.
Taking on this challenge, a team of IBDP Year 2 students from Oakridge International School, Mohali developed an innovative concept for a sustainable deep-sea research vessel as part of an MIT design challenge. The challenge tasked students with designing a craft capable of supporting human life in one of Earth’s most extreme environments while advancing scientific discovery.
Created by Arshiya Verma, Samaira Gaur, Kavish Kohli, and Parneet Bawa, S.C.A.L.Y (Sustainable Craft for Aquatic Life and Yield) is a futuristic deep-sea habitat designed to support underwater exploration, scientific research, and long-term human habitation.
The concept combines sustainability, engineering, and innovation to create a vessel that allows researchers to safely live and work beneath the ocean’s surface. Through interdisciplinary learning and collaboration, the students transformed a bold idea into a practical solution for future ocean exploration.
One of S.C.A.L.Y’s most unique features is its design inspiration. The craft draws from the scaly-foot snail, a rare deep-sea creature known for its protective layered shell.
Using the principles of biomimicry, the team designed a multi-layered exterior capable of withstanding the harsh conditions of the deep ocean. This nature-inspired approach demonstrates how studying the natural world can lead to innovative engineering solutions.
S.C.A.L.Y has been designed with both researchers and scientific missions in mind. The craft includes:
These features ensure that scientists can conduct long-term underwater research while maintaining safety, wellbeing, and operational efficiency.
What sets S.C.A.L.Y apart is its commitment to sustainable ocean exploration.
The craft incorporates:
These sustainability-driven features help reduce environmental impact while enabling longer missions beneath the sea.
To fully visualise their concept, the students combined knowledge from Computer Science and Space Physics to develop a detailed 3D model of S.C.A.L.Y.
This model showcases the vessel’s structure, functionality, and sustainable design, offering a realistic glimpse into the future of deep-sea exploration.
The S.C.A.L.Y project highlights the power of inquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary education. By combining science, technology, creativity, and sustainability, these students have demonstrated how young minds can contribute meaningful solutions to global challenges.
At Oakridge International School, Mohali, students are encouraged to explore real-world problems, think beyond boundaries, and develop the confidence to become future innovators and changemakers.
As oceans continue to hold countless mysteries, projects like S.C.A.L.Y remind us that the next generation is already designing solutions for a more sustainable and discovery-driven future.
