For some, vying for the top prize can trigger a win-at-any-cost attitude. Not so for the kids competing in the largest robotics competition in New England.

More than 58 teams —  including entrants from Avon, Farmington, Simsbury, Southington and Granby — are participating in this year’s Northeast Utilities FIRST Connecticut Regional Robotics Competition at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford on Friday and Saturday. 

On Thursday, or practice day, the game plan was “coopertition,” a concept based on the idea of teams supporting each other. That helping spirit was evident as the loudspeaker blared non-stop announcements whenever a team needed help with a robot.

“They’re fiercely competitive, but they’re also working together collaboratively," said Kathie Kentfield, a mentor with the FIRST program. “We really foster that concept of working together to achieve a common goal."

The competition attracted students from throughout Connecticut and five other states, as well as a team from Brazil. Each group of students was given six weeks to build a robot from a kit of parts, while following a common set of rules.

On Thursday, the Convention Center floor was lined with “pit” areas where teams worked on their robots with mentors and teachers. A nearby arena area allowed teams to take turns trying out their machines.

Simsbury High School students Andrew Glaude and Michael Yachanin, both 17,  said they had just spent an hour troubleshooting to find the source of a connector problem.The Simsbury team was a rookie team, competing for the first time. With the help of their classmates, the two juniors figured the source of their problem was a faulty laptop computer.

“There’s a competitive spirit, but everyone’s working together,” said Andrew, who plans to go into computer programming. “Everything here shows a sense of team.”

Meanwhile, over in the Avon High School pit, students Evan Dorsky, 17, and Matt Howard, 15, worked on a computer kiosk as their teammates wheeled their robot into the pit. The Avon kids built two larger robots and a mini-robot that gets deployed by one of the larger ones.

“All the kids worked together for a common goal,” Dorsky said, adding that the Avon team had 30 students who worked building their robots.

Danielle Parkinson, 14, a freshman at Farmington High School, watched with other teammates as Dr. Chuck Gendrich, the lead robot inspector, diagnosed what was wrong with the team’s robot “The Elephant.” The Doc warned students to keep an eye on the pressure. Too much pressure could damage their machine, said Gendrich, who designs high-pressure compressors for Pratt & Whitney in Middletown.

Parkinson, who considers herself handy with tools, said working with the group gave her more confidence to tackle bigger projects.

“This teaches you about responsibility,” said Parkinson, who aspires to be an engineer. “Working with students from other schools is a learning experience.” 

The two-day event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is open to the public at no charge.