FIRST Champion Robots (and the Students Who Built Them)

Last Saturday, Atlanta's Georgia Dome was packed with students cheering on the FIRST Robotics Competition national championship. We covered the final matches via live feed, but these up-close photos truly capture the event's electric atmosphere.

Even on the live stream, the excitement at the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship on Saturday was palpable. But these photos really give a sense of the action, both robot and human, that went down over the weekend during the supercharged soccer/robo-gymnastics matches.

The competition is an annual event organized by Dean Kamen's FIRST, a group that promotes science and technology to young people around the world. Saturday's event was a brilliant display of America's future top engineers showing the incredible work they're already capable of.

To find out more about how you can join a FIRST team or get one started at a school near you, head over to the group's website.