TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Students at SAIL High School have picked up wrenches, wire cutters and wireless routers to create a basketball-playing robot.

The robot is controlled by an intricate maze of wires and batteries, all connected to a wireless router; a computer connected with two joysticks control every aspect of the robot. The robot requires three people to control it, but it can move forward, backward, turn around, hop a curb and shoot a three-pointer.

The controls even allowed the robot to lower a balance board, drive onto it and slowly balance itself (as shown in video to the right).

Students are hoping their creation will win at a robotics competition, the 2012 Rebound Rumble Game, next month in Orlando.

The competition is all a part of a challenge by the Consortium for Florida Education Foundations (CFEF) and Motorola Solutions. The challenge: to build a robot that can make a basket in three baskets of differing heights on either sides of the court.

However, these metal athletes aren't the cheapest to sign, according to Sheila Costigan with the Foundation for Leon County Schools.

"The kids were telling me they run between 15 and 30 thousand dollars just for the initial robot. And they're competing with robots that cost a hundred thousand dollars."

The students from SAIL High School, all in the institution's Robotics Club, received money from local businesses and the Foundation for Leon County Schools to help pay for their project.

The Foundation for Leon County Schools' requested a grant through the previously mentioned CFEF. The SAIL project was one of eleven chosen to receive the $4,750 grant through a competitive judging process; 20 projects were proposed. 

The project builds on current STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) initiatives, like Barack's Obama's recent "Change the Equation".

Emily Gardner, one of the club's mentors, says the club really gives students a chance to branch out and try new things.

"This club gives everyone a big chance to grow, not only in yourself and your confidence but in your science and technology skills," said Gardner.

Sheila Costigan, of the Foundation for Leon County Schools, said the dress rehearsal held today pleased her by showing the dedication of students.

"The first thing you have to do is you have to get an excellent teacher," said Costigan. "That's what they have here-Jason Burdickj is off-the-chain smart. He is willing to take the risks that are involved; he is willing to put in the time that involves staying after school and giving these kids the mentoring they need, and his heart is big."

Gardner knows SAIL is about more than just the arts.

"I, myself and I Know several other members are in theatre-in the drama club," said Gardner, "I remember I'd be in the middle of rehearsal, and I'd be like 'I've got to get down to robotics,' so I'd be running across campus in costume."

Another student, Hazel Moore, is involved across campus too.

"Pretty much any art related program we have, we've got kids that are in robotics," said Moore. "Nearly everything we do-all the art and everything that is creative-it comes from the school."

Moore and Gardner joked among themselves that SAIL's acronym (School for Arts and Innovative Learning) should be changed to Sciences, Arts and Innovative Learning with their recent advances in robotics.