Students compete in West Valley City for robot domination

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — High School students from all over the country are showing off their homemade robots at the Maverick Center this weekend.

The Utah Regional First Robotics Competition is underway with dozens of teams putting their robots to the test.

Teams from ten states are competing. They are showing off how their robots can perform special tasks like picking up and placing objects as well as balancing on a moving platform.

This year’s competition is focused on renewable energy.

“These students have been building robots they only had eight weeks to get them together,” said Chelsey Short, director of the competition. “It’s really for any student interested in business and marketing, in addition to all the robotic mechanical pieces and electrical engineering and things.”

“It’s really fun to work with different mechanics and machines and it’s fun too and work with different people,” said Carlee Earnhart, a senior at Corner Canyon High School. “It’s a lot of troubleshooting and problem-solving and you have to really think outside of the box.”

While it’s fun to compete and to watch, the competition is intended to encourage future generations to study science and technology and create scientists and engineers.

Winners of this competition advance to the national championships in Houston next month.

The event is free and open to the public. You can watch the final round tomorrow at the Maverik Center starting at 1:30.

You can get more details here.