Get ready for the rumble of robots and the high-flying antics of aerial drones as Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center (MAMC) hosts statewide student competitions this December in Huntington.
MAMC, in partnership with the West Virginia Robotics Alliance and the Marshall University VEX Robotics Club, will present the Marshall University Aerial Drone Competition for high school students Sunday, Dec. 14, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in Marshall’s Gullickson Hall.
In Mission 2026: Time Warp, teams from across the region will program and pilot drones through a series of obstacles, using their skills to launch balls onto the playing field and maneuver them into scoring zones while landing their drones before time runs out.
Teams will compete in Huntington for a chance to advance to the Northeast Regional Aerial Drone Competition May 14-17, 2026, at Fairmont State University in Fairmont. While teams from any state many compete in the Huntington competitions, only teams in the northeast region are eligible to advance to the regional competition.
More information and the team registration link for the Dec. 14 event can be found at https://recfevents.org/#/event-view/5.
For the first time, MAMC will host the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission (SSAC) Robotics State Championship Tuesday, Dec. 16, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the Don Morris Room of Marshall University’s Memorial Student Center. Robotics became an officially sanctioned SSAC sport during the 2021-22 school year.
In this head-to-head competition called V5RC Push Back, high school teams will compete in autonomous and driver-controlled robotics exercises to move blocks into goals, control zones within goals, clear loads and park their VEX robots in defined zones on the 12 ft. x 12 ft. playing field.
The competition is open to all SSAC-sanctioned schools in West Virginia. More information and the team registration link can be found at www.wvrobot.org/events/wvssac-25-26.
The public is invite to attend all three events. There is no admission fee.
“If your children are interested in robots or drones – or both – bring them out to witness firsthand these competitive but friendly tournaments,” said Tyler Brandstetter, MAMC Makerspace/STEAM Outreach Coordinator. “It’s a great opportunity for young people to engage in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math in an educational and entertaining environment.”
For information about the events, contact Brandstetter at or 304-781-1624.
Nov. 20, 2025
