Alex Hutchens,14, of Mars, replaces one of the wheels on the scale model of the Perseverance rover which Mars Robotics contributes to for the Mars New Year Festival. Shane Potter/Butler Eagle

Mars Robotics Association is back for its fourth year at the Mars New Year Festival with the Robotic Village — and, according to president and mentor Jeff Beckstead, this year will be bigger than ever.

“Mars Robotics first exhibited in 2017,” Beckstead said. “We have been asked to make it bigger each year, and we have.”

The Robotic Village, coordinated by the association, lets the public get its hands on real student-made robots and take part in a variety of events organized with regional robotics groups.

Beckstead said the village is meant to show the public the value of science, technology, engineering, arts and math education.

“That’s one of the major emphases of the Mars New Year Festival, STEAM education,” Beckstead said. “So it’s really showing what all these robotics teams can do … and then showing the public that, ‘Hey, you want to play with robots? Come join one of these groups.’”