May 19, 2013
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT)-- The Hardin Valley Academy Robotics Team started from scratch in February to build a robot that would compete.
They spent their free time and weekends building a robot for the FIRST Robotics Competition set for this weekend. Together with mentors and volunteers the team built a robot that will do certain tasks in order to score points against other teams.
There are 46 teams from 14 different states across the nation and they are all meeting here in Knoxville. Through the weekend they will compete for a spot in the national competition in St. Louis.
This robotics event was created by FIRST a group that gets kids inspired across the nation to pursue careers that involve math and the sciences. In order to get them excited they created a "sporting event" for robots, of course.
FIRST President, Jon Dedas tells us this is more than just a game for high school kids; it's a way to get them involved in a career that America will need in the future.
