The robotics team from Hartford Union High School took time to give fairgoers a shot at controlling one of their award-winning robots through some obstacles near the Dodge County Fair grandstand.

We think its really cute because the kids get to drive the robot, said team member Maddy Jacobi, 15.

The team is called Oriole Assault (Team 1091), which is part of the FIRST Robotics. The organization is meant to bring mentors and young students together to build science, engineering and technology skills. The 15-year-old team is composed of 21 high school students and more than seven mentors. It took the team six weeks to construct its robot.

Near the fair grandstands Thursday morning, the team maneuvered its robot through a set of obstacles. The robot could transport a large yellow gear from one station to another and is able to hoist itself off the ground, making it look like the machine is doing a pull-ups. All of the obstacles gain the team points in competition.

This year, the team took third place overall in the Seven Rivers Regional in La Crosse, and it took third place in the Wisconsin Regional in Milwaukee. According to the teams website, it has competed in nine FIRST Robotics Challenges.

Its our teams goal to one year make it to nationals, Jacobi said.

Oriole Assault is the first group of its kind to host a robotics demonstration at the Dodge County Fair. Jacobi said the team wanted to do a demonstration at the fairgrounds because, compared to other teams, they are small and they want to get their work in front of people.

In addition, she said the team is mostly boys and its important for her to show girls that they can work on a team like Oriole Assault.

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Hartford robotics team teaches at the Dodge County Fair grandstands - WiscNews