Robotics competitions have evolved into dynamic global platforms where students, researchers, and enthusiasts converge to test ingenuity, engineering prowess, and problem-solving skills. These contests go far beyond entertainment, fostering collaboration, real-world application of STEM concepts, and technological innovation in robotics and AI.
By simulating real-world challenges — ranging from space missions to urban navigation — robotics competitions allow participants to move beyond theory into practice, while benchmarking diverse robotic systems under uniform conditions. These events span age groups and experience levels, from elementary students to university researchers and professionals.
Here’s an up-to-date guide to 20 of the most impactful robotics competitions to explore or join in 2025:
1. VEX Robotics World Championship — The world’s largest school-level robotics competition, engaging over 20,000 teams from 50+ countries. Students use VEX V5 and VEX IQ platforms in game-based engineering challenges.
- Country: United States (global finals), with qualifiers worldwide
- Month: April–May (World Championship)
- Details: Largest school-level competition; uses VEX V5 and IQ platforms; over 20,000 teams globally
- Age Group: Middle and high school students
2. FIRST Championship — Hosted annually in April, this international event spans FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competition, encouraging innovation and gracious professionalism.
- Country: United States
- Month: April-May
- Details: Covers FIRST LEGO League, Tech Challenge, and Robotics Competition; combines sportsmanship with innovation
- Age Group: 4–18 (varies by division)
3. RoboCup — This international initiative aims to advance robotics and AI through soccer matches, rescue simulations, and industrial applications. Its long-term goal: developing a team of humanoid robots that can beat the human world soccer champions by 2050.
- Country: Varies annually
- Month: July
- Details: Global leader in robot soccer, rescue, industrial, and home applications; aims for humanoids to beat FIFA champions by 2050
- Participants: University teams, researchers, and professionals
4. RoboGames — Also known as the Olympics of Robots, this California-based event includes over 50 categories—from autonomous navigation to humanoid kung-fu and combat robotics.
- Country: United States (California)
- Month: April
- Details: Known as the Olympics of Robotics; 50+ events, including combat, humanoid sports, firefighting, and sumo bots
- Open to: All ages
5. World Robot Olympiad (WRO) — Open to youth aged 8–19, this event features themed challenges in Regular, Open, Future Engineers, and Robot Soccer categories. Over 90 countries participate annually.
- Country: 2025 host: Qatar
- Month: November
- Details: Regular, Open, Future Innovators, and Soccer categories; over 90 countries participate
- Age Group: 8–19 years
6. ABU Robocon — Organized by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, this competition challenges college teams to design robots based on traditional games and cultural themes. The 2025 edition will be hosted in Indonesia.
- Country: Varies
- Month: August
- Details: Cultural and sports-themed tasks; undergraduate teams from Asia-Pacific
- Organized by: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union
7. International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC) — Known for its cutting-edge challenges in autonomous aerial robotics, IARC tasks university teams with solving real-world missions that are often years ahead of commercial capabilities.
- Country: United States & Asia (dual venues)
- Month: July–August
- Details: Longest-running aerial autonomy contest; complex missions for drones, often a decade ahead of commercial technology
- Participants: University-level and research teams
8. FIRST Global Challenge — A STEM-focused robotics event modeled after the Olympics, bringing together students from over 190 nations to collaborate on solving global problems using robotics.
- Country: Varies (2025: Ghana)
- Month: October
- Details: Modeled after Olympics; over 190 national teams solve themed global problems using STEM
- Age Group: High school
9. Zero Robotics — A unique space-based coding competition where students write algorithms to control SPHERES satellites aboard the International Space Station.
- Country: International, finals in International Space Station (ISS)
- Month: Finals in January
- Details: Space programming challenge using SPHERES satellites aboard ISS
- Hosted by: MIT, NASA, ESA
- Age Group: Middle school students
10. FIRA RoboWorld Cup — A prominent academic robotics event featuring competitions in humanoid robots, drone sports, service robotics, and rescue missions.
- Country: South Korea
- Month: July/August
- Details: One of the oldest robot soccer events; includes humanoids, drones, and education leagues
- Participants: University and research teams
11. SAUVC — A popular international competition for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), testing navigation and object detection in underwater environments.
- Country: Singapore
- Month: March
- Details: Underwater robotics challenge focusing on autonomy, navigation, and mission planning
- Open to: University students globally
12. Botball — A team-based autonomous robotics competition using standardized kits and programming environments. Open to middle and high school students.
- Country: United States (regional tournaments worldwide)
- Month: April–July
- Details: Autonomous programming using standardized kits; real-time coding with sensors and logic
- Age Group: Middle and high school students
13. Robofest — An autonomous robotics festival featuring creative and mission-based contests for K–16 students worldwide. Teams compete in innovation, vision centric, and exhibition categories.
- Country: United States; international affiliates in 10+ countries
- Month: March–May
- Details: Autonomous robotics challenges and creative exhibitions; no remote control allowed
- Age Group: K–16
14. Robo-One — A Japan-based contest where bipedal humanoid robots perform martial arts routines and battles, highlighting advancements in balance and locomotion.
- Country: Japan
- Month: February and September (semiannual)
- Details: Bipedal robot battles; emphasizes locomotion and balance in humanoids
- Participants: Hobbyists and professionals
15. ELROB – The European Land-Robot Trial — A military-focused robotics event where unmanned ground vehicles are evaluated in tasks like convoy driving, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
- Country: Europe (Switzerland)
- Month: June
- Details: Military and rescue missions; tests autonomous and teleoperated ground vehicles
- Participants: Industry and research institutions
16. Micromouse — A classic event where small autonomous robots navigate through a 16×16 maze as quickly as possible, testing path-planning and optimization.
- Country: Japan, UK, US (various regional events)
- Month: Varies (UK finals in June)
- Details: Robots autonomously solve 16×16 mazes; evaluates algorithm efficiency and control systems
- Participants: Hobbyists, students, engineers
17. Robo Expo — This inclusive event encourages participation from students across grades and skill levels, offering a non-competitive showcase and competitive challenges alike.
- Country: United States (NYC)
- Month: April-May
- Details: Non-competitive robotics fair with creative challenges; inclusive, project-based learning focus
- Age Group: Elementary to high school
18. BEST Robotics (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) — A six-week competition where middle and high school students design robots to solve engineering-based tasks. Emphasis is placed on teamwork, creativity, and documentation.
- Country: United States (regional and national rounds)
- Month: September–December
- Details: 6-week engineering challenge with reusable kits and real-world problem-solving
- Age Group: Middle and high school
19. FIRST Robotics Competition — An international high school robotics competition operated by FIRST. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work to build robots capable of competing in that year’s game.
- Country: United States (mostly in Texas and Southeast)
- Month: October–December
- Details: Scoring balls into goals, hanging on bars, placing objects in predetermined locations, and balancing robots on various field elements
- Age Group: Grades 3–6
20. Drone Champions League (DCL) — One of the world’s premier FPV drone racing events, combining high-speed drone navigation with immersive virtual and physical tracks.
- Country: Multiple (virtual and live events across Europe)
- Month: April–October
- Details: Elite FPV drone racing league with high-speed, immersive circuits
- Open to: Professional drone pilots
21. NASA Lunabotics Challenge — An annual engineering competition where college teams design lunar excavation robots, simulating in-situ resource utilization for moon missions.
- Country: United States (Kennedy Space Center, Florida)
- Month: May
- Details: University teams build mining robots for lunar excavation in simulated lunar environments
- Organized by: NASA Artemis program
Do you want us to add more interesting robotics competitions to this list? Tell us.
