Dozens of school and community teams were at Hofstra University Wednesday for a battle of the bots.

Students from around the world competed in tasks such as moving objects and racing to charging stations.

Some spent months to build their robots in preparation for the first robotics competition at Hofstra.

Those at the event say the atmosphere was electric.

"It's screaming, it's yelling, it's applauding," said executive director of FIRST Long Island Bertram Dittmar. "So, the energy is more than a basketball game."

While competitors are Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) leaders in their schools, they say the matches wouldn't be possible without their coaches, mentors and volunteers.

"It's crazy to see how much can happen without anybody being paid," said Smithtown East Senior Jessica Sucharski. "It's really cool to see the people here. Everyone is so passionate about it."

Students say the event is more than a test of their technical skills - it's also about teamwork and good sportsmanship.

"It's really tight-knit and I think just the general culture of the team is one of the most enticing aspects of it," said Ben Paldy, of Ward Melville High School.