Section 1: Competition Overview
1.1 Dates & Venue
The 2026 RoboBoat Competition (RoboBoat 2026) will be conducted February 19-24, 2026, at the Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida, USA.
1.2 Competition Structure
RoboBoat includes the Autonomy Challenge that demonstrates autonomous performance and safety, and Design Documentation that presents each team’s work and ASV design.
1.3 Competition Theme: Storm Response
Technology in Action for Recovery and Relief. Storm Response explores the power uncrewed systems play in recovery, resilience, and discovery in disaster relief efforts. Framed as an opportunity, not just to restore what was lost, but to rebuild smarter and reimagine the future; this season’s challenges reflect the real-world role of robotics in helping communities respond to and recover from storms and other natural events. Through hands-on missions grounded in post-disaster scenarios, teams will apply technology with purpose – restoring harbor operations, assessing underwater infrastructure, supporting exploration, and unlocking new possibilities.
A powerful storm swept through, leaving behind unknown destruction and potential environmental hazards. Vehicles are deployed to demonstrate how coordinated action can turn disaster into resilience:
Assessment & Discovery: Vehicles are deployed for rapid damage assessment to inspect the area and report environmental hazards, gathering the critical information needed to understand the scope of damage.
Recovery & Repair: Vehicles work to search the debris field armed with supplies to restore safety and functionality. Yet recovery is not only about rebuilding what was lost; it’s also about protecting the future.
Environmental & Public Safety: Vehicles conduct surveying and data collection to coordinate with first responders, underscoring the responsibility to restore balance for both communities and ecosystems.
Find out more in Section 3: Autonomy Challenge for the 2026 tasks.
1.4 Eligibility
Student teams from anywhere in the world are eligible to participate. All teams must build an ASV to compete and may enter up to two vehicles in the competition.*
*First-year teams are eligible to participate in RoboBoat without an ASV. These teams are expected to participate in Design Documentation and send representatives on-site at the event as a learning experience. First-year teams are expected to indicate this option in their registration form.
1.4.1 Eligibility Details & Team Composition
Teams must be comprised of 75% or more full-time students. Student members are expected to make significant contributions to the engineering development cycle of their ASV.
The majority of team members must be college or high school students. Teams may also include middle school students. Interdisciplinary teams are encouraged.
Teams may be comprised of 25% or less alumni, industry, academic or government partners.
A minimum of three (3) team members are required for safe operations on-site at RoboBoat.
1.5 Competition Schedule and Timeline
The event schedule is also available on the RoboBoat website.
Online
14 January 2026
Event Submission Deadline:
Team Member Registration
Team Demographics
Merchandise Order
Vehicle Information
On-Site Requirements
Registration Portal (Online)
14 January 2026
Design Documentation Deadline:
Technical Design Report
Website
Team Introduction Video
Community & Outreach (optional)
Registration Portal (Online)
In-Person Event
19 February 2026
Team Check-in / Orientation
Nathan Benderson Park
20-21 February 2026
Practice Course Open
Qualifying Round
Design Presentations
System Assessments
Nathan Benderson Park
22-23 February 2026
Semi-Finals Round
Nathan Benderson Park
24 February 2026
Finals Round
Awards
Nathan Benderson Park
1.5.1 Daily Team Meeting
Each competition day starts and ends with a mandatory team meeting for all teams, conducted by the Technical Director. Team leads (or their designated team representative) are required to attend all meetings. All participants are strongly encouraged to attend.
The Technical Director summarizes the day’s events, describes any course changes for the following day, and teams are encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback.
1.6 Points of Contact
RoboBoat Questions:
Registration Questions:
On-Site Logistics/Safety:
1.7 RoboNation Code of Conduct
All team members must abide by the RoboNation Code of Conduct while participating in the Competition. Failure to abide by this Code of Conduct at any point during the competition season may result in the disqualification of the team and/or participants from the Competition, components of the competition, the full competition, and/or future competitions.
Give your best effort. Display honesty, integrity, and sportsmanship while engaging in friendly competition. Compete fairly. Team products are solely the creation of student participants’ own efforts, ideas, and designs with supporting mentors providing only verbal advice.
Respect others. All participants and guests will display courtesy and respect toward officials, volunteers, other teams, and guests of the Competition.
Act with integrity. All participants and guests will behave in a responsible manner and follow the rules of the competition and host organization.
Support each other. All participants will embody the spirit of RoboNation and endeavor to engage with, learn from, and support one another.
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