The RoboSpartans Head to Big Out-of-State Competition

The New Hartford RoboSpartans, a neighborhood robotics team, are headed to Pennsylvania this weekend for a big robotics competition.  A competition they think could send them to the world championship.

Robotics is a sport of the mind, says Coach Bob Payne of the New Hartford RoboSpartans.

"It was found by Dean Kamen because he wanted a sport for this muscle, working with other kids but still competing with them for competitions, but learning science, technology, math, and engineering."

He says the five member team has to be able to conceptualize and build the robot on their own and deal with the pressure of the competition. The team has also made it their mission to mentor and encourage other robotics teams. 

In this weekend's competition, the robot needs to be able to lift crates, push magnetic balls into certain areas, and collect them, all with three other robots in the ring.  To accomplish this, they've been perfecting the robot for three months.

Team member Maysara Elazzizi says the versatility of their robot, he thinks, makes them a fierce competitor.  "Our robot does everything it gets racket balls in the baskets, it has a scissor lift, it can get the bowling ball, the magnet ball...I'm feeling pretty good about."

Also feeling confident about the upcoming competition, his teammate Alex Catera tells Eyewitness News why he's stuck to the unique sport.   "If we win this next competition we go to the world championship,  i don't think with many other sports you can do that. It's fun, you learn a lot of stuff, and really I think I've become a better person being on this team."