The FIRST Robotics competition kicked off in Manchester and across the world on Saturday.Participating teams have six weeks to create and build their own 120-pound robot.The challenge ends with the international FIRST championship in April.This year’s challenge was unveiled to local students at Southern New Hampshire University."When I first saw the game, I was psyched. It's my last year of the game, my senior year. I'm speechless," competitor Matthew Kelley said. "There's so much to do to this game -- the moving of the gates and the field elements is insane."More than 75,000 high school students at more than 100 locations worldwide participate in robotics.Frank Merrick, director of the FIRST Robotics competition, said high schoolers can't wait to get started on the challenge.“It's a little bit like your birthday. You have a big party and get a lot of presents, and you just want to tear into them and see what's going on," Merrick said.Dean Kamen of Bedford, who is known for inventing the Segway, founded FIRST in 1989 to get more kids interested in science.“We always say this is the hardest fun they'll ever have,” said Don Bossi, president of FIRST. “What they're going to do is really really hard. I have a Phd. in engineering and I don't know how I would design something to do this"

The FIRST Robotics competition kicked off in Manchester and across the world on Saturday.

Participating teams have six weeks to create and build their own 120-pound robot.


The challenge ends with the international FIRST championship in April.

This year’s challenge was unveiled to local students at Southern New Hampshire University.

"When I first saw the game, I was psyched. It's my last year of the game, my senior year. I'm speechless," competitor Matthew Kelley said. "There's so much to do to this game -- the moving of the gates and the field elements is insane."

More than 75,000 high school students at more than 100 locations worldwide participate in robotics.

Frank Merrick, director of the FIRST Robotics competition, said high schoolers can't wait to get started on the challenge.

“It's a little bit like your birthday. You have a big party and get a lot of presents, and you just want to tear into them and see what's going on," Merrick said.

Dean Kamen of Bedford, who is known for inventing the Segway, founded FIRST in 1989 to get more kids interested in science.

“We always say this is the hardest fun they'll ever have,” said Don Bossi, president of FIRST. “What they're going to do is really really hard. I have a Phd. in engineering and I don't know how I would design something to do this"