High school robotics competition sparking interest in engineering careers

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A competition Saturday is drawing teams of high school robotics students from around the Rocky Mountain region.

A team of high school students at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs call themselves the 'Cougars Gone Wired' and hosted the competition.

Student-built robots are designed to accomplish different tasks and race to complete them.

Students have six weeks to build the bots, beginning in early January. They design, prototype, and manufacture machines that can move and manipulate cones, balls, and blocks. Then, they race other robots to gain points.

The robots start the game in auto mode, completing the tasks without human intervention. Then, student drivers take over in a 2 minute race to the finish.

The goal is to empower students and spark their interest in pursuing careers in engineering and computer science.