RoboMission

Build and program an autonomous robot

In RoboMission, teams design, build, and program an autonomous robot that solves tasks on a competition field within two minutes.

Overview

What is RoboMission?

RoboMission is a competition category where teams design, build, and program an autonomous robot that solves tasks on a competition field. The robot needs to move precisely, make decisions, and interact with mission objects on the field.

The goal

Solve as many missions as possible on the competition field within two minutes using a robot designed and programmed by the team.

Age groups

RoboMission is divided into Elementary, Junior, and Senior age groups, with missions suited to the age and experience of the participants.

Technology

Teams may use different robotics platforms and programming languages, as long as their equipment follows the competition’s technical rules.

Preparation

Design, programming, and testing

Once the season theme and rules are published, teams begin preparing their robot. They choose a strategy, build the robot, write programs, test solutions, and improve them through repeated trials.

01

Analyze the missions

Start by reading the rules carefully and deciding which missions on the competition field your team wants to attempt first.

02

Design the robot

Think about how the robot should drive, position itself, and use mechanisms to move or transport mission objects.

03

Program and test

Test your program regularly on a competition table or practice field. Measure what works, what fails, and what needs improvement.

04

Improve the solution

Use mistakes as information. Improve both the construction and the program until the robot becomes more reliable and precise.

Remember the Technical Summary

Teams need to prepare a Technical Summary describing which components, sensors, motors, and control units are used. This helps judges confirm that the robot follows the technical rules. If you need to choose a robotics kit, sensors, motors, or a practice table, the equipment guide is a useful next step.

Tournament day

What happens on tournament day?

At the national tournament, teams get the opportunity to run their robot on the competition field, practice between rounds, and present the robot’s design and programming to judges.

Three competition rounds

Teams run their robot in three rounds throughout the day. The team’s best performance is used for ranking.

Practice time

Between competition rounds, teams may have opportunities to test, fine-tune, and prepare the robot for the next run.

Design and programming presentation

Teams present their robot to judges, explain the design and programming, and answer questions about their process.

Scoring and awards

How is performance evaluated?

Teams receive points for missions the robot completes on the competition field. The Icelandic format may consider both national ranking and potential qualification for international events.

Points

Points are based on which missions the robot has completed when the run ends or when time runs out.

Time

If teams achieve the same score, the time the robot took to complete missions may be used as a ranking criterion.

Interruptions

Interruptions and restarts may affect qualification for international events, even if they are allowed in the national ranking.

Presentation

The design and programming presentation is evaluated separately and gives teams the chance to show the process behind their solution.

Final rules will be published for the season

This overview is informative. Final rules, scoring criteria, and technical specifications for the Icelandic national tournament will be published with the rules for the relevant season.

Rules

Official rules and documents

Rules, missions, technical specifications, and amendments are published for each season. Teams should always follow the latest documents for the current season and any information published by WRO® Iceland for the national tournament.

General rules

Official RoboMission general rules for WRO® 2026. These cover teams, roles, competition format, robots, competition day procedures, and judging.

General rules

Technical Summary

Template for information about the team’s robot, components, sensors, motors, controllers, and other technical details.

Technical summary

Age group game rules

Missions, competition fields, scoring, and specific rules for each RoboMission age group.

All WRO® 2026 documents

The official WRO® overview page with all rules, documents, amendments, questions and answers, and links for the 2026 season.

WRO® 2026 overview

International events

Rules may differ at international events

Teams that qualify for international events need to carefully read the rules of the specific event they attend. International tournaments may differ in how interruptions, practice time, robot quarantine, or surprise tasks are handled.

Read about international events

Next steps

Do you want to start with RoboMission?

Start by reading the getting started guide, finding a team and coach, and following registration updates for the next national tournament.