Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/students-compete-in-robotics Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript This year, nearly 30,000 high school students experienced triumph and defeat in a national robotics challenge geared toward fostering an interest in math, science and engineering. Read the Full Transcript TOM BEARDEN, NewsHour Correspondent: It was the opening round of the semi-finals at the Colorado Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, a rough-and-tumble game where robots score points by firing rubber balls through a hoop. COMPETITION PARTICIPANT: We've disabled it. It's disabled. TOM BEARDEN: Suddenly, one robot stopped moving. COMPETITION PARTICIPANT: Do we have another key or anything else? TOM BEARDEN: The members of Team 159, Alpine Robotics from Poudre High School in Fort Collins, scrambled to fix their broken robot. COMPETITION PARTICIPANT: The belt. It's the belt. It's the belt on the inside. TOM BEARDEN: Officials warned the team that they had just a few minutes to make repairs or be replaced by another team. COMPETITION OFFICIAL: You're not going to make it? COMPETITION PARTICIPANT: No. COMPETITION OFFICIAL: Sorry, guys.