📌About the Event

WRO Future Engineers 2026 is an advanced robotics and autonomous-driving competition under the World Robot Olympiad. Teams must design, build, program, and document a self-driving robotic car capable of navigating a randomly configured track without human control. The challenge tests autonomous navigation, sensor integration, obstacle detection, engineering design, control systems, coding, and technical documentation. Indian teams enter directly at the WRO India National Championship.

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ℹ️ Event Details

• Mode of conduct: In-person robotics competition.
• Entry level for Indian teams: Teams participate directly in the National Championship; there is no virtual or regional qualifying round for this category.
• National Championship venue: GMR Arena, Aerocity, Hyderabad.
• National-level capacity: Up to 50 Future Engineers teams.
• Competition duration: Three days:
  • Day 1: Practice sessions
  • Day 2: First competition round and possible introduction of a surprise rule
  • Day 3: Multiple competition rounds
• Challenge format: Only one autonomous vehicle competes on the track at a time in time-attack rounds.
• Open Challenge: The vehicle must autonomously complete three laps while navigating randomly positioned inner track walls.
• Obstacle Challenge: The vehicle must complete three laps, follow the correct side indicated by randomly positioned red and green traffic signs, avoid moving the signs, and perform parallel parking.
• Hardware and software: Teams may use hardware, electronic components, materials, controllers, and programming languages of their choice, subject to the technical rules.

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📅 Important Dates

• Registration opened: November 21, 2025.
• Future Engineers guidelines released: May 5, 2026.
• WRO India National Championship: August 26–28, 2026.
• Recommended GitHub repository submission: One month before the competition.
• Repository freeze: Teams must not make changes during the final two weeks before the competition, corresponding approximately to August 12, 2026 for the National Championship.
• WRO International Final: December 8–10, 2026

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🎯 Eligibility & Rules

• Eligibilty:
• Age eligibility: Students must be 14–22 years old during the 2026 calendar year.
• Eligible birth years: 2004–2012.
• Team composition: Each team must have two or three students and an adult coach.
• Coach requirement: The coach must be at least 18 years old for an international WRO event.
• Participation restriction: A student may participate in only one team, and a team may enter only one WRO category during the season.
• Institution eligibility: School, college, and university teams can participate, provided members meet the age requirements.
• Original work: The vehicle’s construction, coding, and engineering solution must be completed by the students. Coaches may guide teams but cannot build or program the vehicle.
• Autonomy requirement: The vehicle must operate fully autonomously; remote controls are not permitted.
• Vehicle configuration: The robot must be a four-wheeled vehicle with a driving axle and a steering actuator. Differential-drive robots and omnidirectional wheels are not permitted.

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🏆 Benefits for the Participants

• Podium awards: First, second, and third-place teams receive gold, silver, and bronze medals.
• Certificates: Students and their coach receive e-certificates.
• Performance certificates:
  • Below 25% of total points: Participation Certificate
  • 25% to below 50%: Bronze Badge Certificate
  • 50% to 75%: Silver Badge Certificate
  • Above 75%: Gold Badge Certificate
• Special Future Engineers awards:
  • Software Integration Award
  • Engineering Excellence Award
• MathWorks Modeling Award: Future Engineers teams can compete for additional recognition by presenting well-documented MATLAB or Simulink models, code, and engineering explanations.
• International opportunity: India is eligible to qualify one Future Engineers team for the WRO International Final, subject to the official national selection process.