TAMPA, Fla. — Pranava Manthena is calling his shot.
"I think we have the 'bot to prove it," says the senior at Tampa's Middleton High School. "I think we have what it takes to get it done."
WATCH: Tampa's Middleton High Robotics club is about to take on the world in Houston
Pranava is one of the leaders of Middleton Robotics, a prestigious club that is preparing to do epic hi-tech battle on a global stage.
This is an underdog story for sure, says teacher-coach Robert Dodson.
"This is just an unbelievably special group," he said. "It's an incredible accomplishment."
A few years ago, the club was at a low point: just a few members fizzled interest.
But a renewed focus on STEM at the school, plus an incoming crew of brilliant beautiful minds willing to revive the program, has Middleton Robotics once again in elite company.
Next week, more than 50 very smart, very talented students — team name: Minotaur 1369 — will head to Houston to take on 600 robotics teams from around the world in the FIRST Robotics Competition, a friendly but intense battle for world domination.
The task? To make a robot with real-world environmental implications, one that can navigate a gaming course and help save an imaginary coral reef.
Middleton's robot, Daedalus, is fast, tough, and will be required to do a number of nimble tasks in a short amount of time.
"It's gonna be the last alliance standing," said Pranava. "Minotaur, we hope, is gonna come out on top."
Traveling with kids and a robot isn't cheap. The team is sponsored by companies such as National Gypsum, Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe's.
For more on Middleton Robotics, including their popular summer camp, go here.
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