Caltech robot competition: Team Chicken McNuggets wins

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Caltech mechanical engineering student Christopher Culpepper flies a robot designed by his team, the Soup Nazis, at an engineering design competition in Pasadena. (Nick Ut / Associated Press)

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The Avengers -- Bryan Joel, left, Derek Kearney and Richie Hernandez -- were among six Caltech teams competing. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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A robot designed and created by a team of mechanical engineering students climbs a steep ramp at the “Raiders of the Lost Can” competition at Caltech. (Nick Ut / Associated Press)

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Caltech engineering student Joseph Greef works on a flying robot created by his team, the Cunning Stunts. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Emerging victorious at the 2014 contest was team 40 Pc Chicken McNuggets: From left are Justin Koch, James Bern, Matthew Queen and Monica Enlow. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

By Amy Hubbard

March 12, 2014 6:52 AM PT

It’s the biggest sporting event at Caltech.

Six teams competed in the annual robot competition at the Pasadena school on Tuesday.

Their homemade creations -- built over 20 weeks for $800 -- rolled, climbed and flew with a goal of getting an empty can onto a 5-foot, pyramid-shaped platform.

The Pasadena Star News reports the winner of the “Raiders
of the Lost Can” competition, held inside the school’s
Brown Gymnasium, was a team named ... 40 Pc Chicken McNuggets.

This is the mechanical-engineering highlight of the year in a land of brainiacs and gear heads, nerd nirvana for the people who will someday be your boss.

Watch the fun in the video below. (Mobile users can find it here.)

Love science and nerds too? Follow me at @AmyTheHub

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