Home - RoboSub
RoboSub 2026 | Registration Now Open!
July 11-16, 2026 | Woollett Aquatics Center | Irvine, California, USA
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Welcome
to
RoboSub
Go beyond, way beyond the surface.
What is RoboSub?
RoboSub is an
international student competition.
Student teams from around the world design and build robotic submarines, otherwise known as Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV). T
he behaviors demonstrated by these experimental AUVs
mimics those of real-world systems, currently deployed around the world for underwater exploration, seafloor mapping, and sonar localization, amongst many others.
About RoboSub
The Competition
Assemble a team.
Assemble your team and get busy designing, building and testing the sub-systems of your AUV. Now put it all together and demonstrate your vehicles autonomy by completing a series of tasks through a pre-defined mission.
Then, it all goes down below the surface.
AUV crosses the underwater gate to officially start its run. Does your vehicle have swag? Well, show it off by twisting and turning as you go through the gate. Advanced vehicles may also attempt to identify and touch buoys, drop markers, localize to a position using acoustic beacons (pingers) manipulate or deploy projectiles and move/release objects before surfacing.
Sink to the bottom, and then rise to the top.
No surprise here, the team that gets the most points wins. But bragging rights and prize money aside, along the way students are getting some serious bonding-time, striking up friendly rivalries and becoming part of a tight knit maritime community. So read the rules, join the conversation, and dive into your future.
Discover RoboSub
These rules apply at, above and below sea-level.
Explore RoboSub
Community Chatter
RoboSub Announcements
For all current RoboSub announcements!
Technical Forum
Ask questions or connect on technical aspects of the competition.
Career Opportunities
Want a jump start to your career? Take a look at the opportunities listed from the RoboNation community.
Browse the RoboSub Discord
Does all of this sound awesome? Find out more.
Let’s start with your name, email and what you would like to learn more about.