A group of Crown Point High School students has spent the last few weeks modifying its version of the Millennium Falcon, making the robot faster and adjusting its shot. It plays basketball.

Students adopted the name of the fictional spacecraft in "Star Wars" for their creation, which they have entered to compete in robotics competition across the country.

The team, better known as the RoboDogs, along with Team Hammond, will compete this week with 70 other teams from across the country and Canada in the off-season Indiana Robotics Invitational on Friday and Saturday at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis.

Andy Baker, president of AndyMark, Inc. and co-organizer of the invitational, said the event was designed as a bit of off-season fun, although the best teams from North America are attending.

"We have teams competing from Florida to Canada and from Hawaii and Massachusetts. Teams are invited to compete at the IRI," Baker said.

He said the RoboDogs won a regional event this past season as did Team Hammond. Baker said 18 teams from Indiana are competing this weekend.

Mark Querry, a CPHS technical teacher and coach for the RoboDogs, said they are taking about eight students and a handful of teacher and parents.

"We made some modifications to the drive train, increasing the robot's speed, and we modified the hoop that grabs the ball, reinforcing it and making it heavier," he said, adding the team has been working all summer on its entry.