160 teams featuring roughly 5,500 high school students from across Michigan are competing at Saginaw Valley State
University as part of the FIRST Robotics state championship this weekend. Approximately 8,000 people in all are on the S-V-S-U campus if you add in parents, teachers and sponsors.

This year’s theme is “Deep Space” with each team’s robot loading cargo into a vehicle before returning to safety within a certain time. Teams not only have to show mastery of  STEM related skills, but members must also be able to work together as a group to solve problems.

At least some of the winners from this competition will participate in a world championship event in Detroit in two weeks.