Wired for victory: Inside the annual Robotics Challenge

You could hear last Thursday’s Robotics Challenge before you caught sight of it. AC/DC’s Back in Black ricocheted off the walls, underscored by bursts of laughter, shouted countdowns, and the cheers of students and staff.

The Challenge took place in the Innovation Lab, which had been transformed into an otherworldly obstacle course, with twisting tracks and scattered challenges across the floor. 

The air hummed with tension as students hunched over their creations, making last‑second tweaks. There was the faint scent of warm circuitry and coffee, the clatter of tools, and the whirr of motors being tested. Every corner crackled with creative chaos as teams pushed for that final moment of lifting one of the various recycled trophies, all made from repurposed lab junk. 

UCL East’s annual Robotics Challenge has fast become a highlight of the academic year, with the finale bringing together students and staff for a high-octane day of creative problem solving.

First-year students from our MEng Robotics and AI spend six-weeks creating their own autonomous robots for the challenge, applying skills learnt over the last couple of terms.

This year’s challenge was set on the fictional planet of Omfibia. The students worked in teams, navigating their way into the arena to “plant” a total of 50 seeds and before safely returning to their base. 

Each team scored points for overcoming obstacles, with the highest scoring robot taking the title. 14 robots competed for points, while collaborating to complete the mission across a basic round, a speed round, and a round with added obstacles. 

Many students described the experience as a rollercoaster, with the highs and lows visible as they rushed back and forth throughout the day. Despite the competitive nature of the challenge, there was a strong sense of community throughout the event, with students cheering each other on and celebrating success together.

At the end of the day, a robot named Tars emerged as the winner with a total of 1060 points, closely followed by Monkey Kong with 950, and Kayubo with 850. 

When asked about the benefits of the event, one professor joked that there were “too many”. He said, “By working on a project with tangible outcomes, students gain an appreciation for the complexity of building a real system and learn how to manage failure when things don’t go to plan.”

UCL is committed to developing strong, confident leaders, engineers and researchers in intelligent robotics and artificial intelligence. The Robotics Challenge supports students in building this open and innovative attitude, encouraging them to engage in a motivated and hands-on way. 

Through this programme, the students learnt both hard and soft skills. They had to successfully integrate hardware and software, while collaborating effectively with other teams. And the teams themselves also learnt to perform under pressure and tight deadlines. These skills will continue to benefit students throughout their careers. 

Interested in studying Robotics and AI at UCL? Find out more about the programme and future opportunities through the prospectus.