Chartiers Valley High School students Clair Malone, Abby Chidlow, Ryan Crown, Jack Radzanowski and Chris Wilson converge on their robot as it is wheeled back into the pit area between rounds last year at the competition.

Mark Marietta/Observer-Reporter

During last year’s competition, the GOLEM team from Shenzhen, China, cheers from the stands at the Greater Pittsburgh Regional FIRST Robotics Competition at California University of Pennsylvania.

Mark Marietta/Observer-Reporter

Titanium Titans team members Adam Robertson, Luke Markinos, Jesse Wolfe and Meghan Black make last-minute adjustments to their machine between rounds at last year’s FIRST Robotics Competition.

Ethan Schrim watches intently as driver Stephen Patrick steers the Titanium Titans’ robot from behind the safety glass that surrounds the competition floor. Each round included a segment during which the robot had to operate autonomously, and finished with the team member operating the controls remotely.

Reheanna Abel and Cole Fitch, students at St. Joseph High School, are frustrated with the result of their match in the preliminaries of the Greater Pittsburgh Regional FIRST Robotics Competition at California University of Pennsylvania on Friday. St. Joseph, in Natrona Heights, has had teams in the competition since 2009. The event continues Saturday.