Episodes

Teams will compete in 5 different fields of robotics under the theme of smart urban environments.

To keep the playing field level for everyone the same, we cannot provide specific technical data or proprietary imagery beyond what is available in the official documentation. A huge part of the European Robotics League (ERL) spirit is the ability for teams to adapt and improve their robots after seeing how they perform in the actual environment. We don’t want to provide too much info upfront because we want to leave room for the teams to iterate and sharpen their strategy between runs!

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FAQ (10.04.2026)

Competition Environment

As you can see in the handbook photos, you’ll be flying under the pier structure, so there is a fixed ceiling. Keep in mind that the available flight height varies between 5 and 7 meters and the competition area between 80m2 and 140m2.Because the arena is on a beach, the “floor” level changes due to piling sand and the ebb and flood (tidal) cycle. It will always be in between the range. For each run, a specific pillar will be assigned to execute the practice run/final run on. Because the take-off location is fixed but the assigned pillar changes per run, the relative position and angle between your starting point and the target pillar will vary.

Patient / Target Detection

We can’t provide specific photos of the model we’re using, but it will be representative of a person in terms of shape and scale.

The Payload

The medical payload might change in form and structure but will never exceed 1.5kg; because of this, we don’t provide exact dimensions, weight distribution diagrams, or photos, but you are free to attach the payload securely at the starting point in whatever way you choose as long as the drop-off is fully autonomous once you reach the target.

Computation Constraints

This is an autonomy challenge. The control station will have power for your laptops to monitor telemetry/video, but the drone needs to handle its own localization, perception, and obstacle avoidance onboard. Please note that there is no stable, secured Wi-Fi provided at the site. If your workflow requires a local link between the drone and a ground station for monitoring, we highly recommend bringing your own router/access point to establish a private network. However, remember that the flight must remain autonomous even if your link drops—especially since we can’t guarantee a perfect signal or GPS under the pier.

Episode 2: Robotics for Coastal Protection and Nature Preservation

Participation open to: University and Industry teams
Short description: This episode addresses the use of autonomous robotic systems to support coastal environmental monitoring and nature preservation.

→ Download competition handbook (Version 1: 2026_01_13)
→ Download rules of conduct Dunea (only available in Dutch)
→ Location Competition area

Episode 3: Robotic Solutions for Emergency Response and Public Health

Participation open to: University and Industry teams
Short description: This episode addresses the use of autonomous drones to support medical delivery tasks in coastal and urban environments

→ Download competition handbook (Version 1: 2026_02_10)
→ Download The Hague Drone Policy (only available in Dutch)
→ Location Competition area

Episode 4: Smart City Robots - 'Barista' Bots

Participation open to: University and Industry teams
Short description: This episode addresses the use of autonomous robots to support customer service tasks in a café environment.

→ Download competition handbook (Version 1: 2026_01_13)
→ Location Competition area (TBD)

Episode 5: Smart City Robots - Clever Sand Management

Participation open to: Secondary school teams(lego platform based) and High school teams (Robotics platform based)
Short description: This episode challenges teams to design and program an autonomous robot that can help keep a public boulevard environment clean by removing sand that has blown in from the beach
Episode available in 2 categories: Robotics platform based and Lego platform based
The Lego competition for all teams will only take place on Wednesday 13 May, with practice runs in the morning and the award ceremony in the afternoon.

→ Download competition handbook Robotics platform based (Version 1: 2026_01_13)
→ Download competition handbook Lego platform based (Version 1: 2026_01_13)
→ Location Competition area (TBD)