Program

RoboSub 2026

RoboSub 2026

Ahoy explorers! Are you ready to dive into the world of underwater autonomy? Let us introduce you to RoboSub. 

RoboSub is an international competition that invites participants to tackle simplified versions of challenges facing the underwater maritime industry. These challenges may include oceanographic exploration and mapping, detection and manipulation of objects, and pipeline identification and tracking.

Assemble your crew and chart a course on this systems engineering adventure where you will have the opportunity to design, build and test an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). Once you have worked past the lead times for underwater parts, come join us at the RoboSub competition and see how your unique system compares to systems designed by competitors from around the world. 

Put your creation to the test and join us at the 29th annual RoboSub competition!

RoboSub 2026

  • Dates

    July 11-16, 2026

  • Location

    Woollett Aquatics Center

    Irvine, California, USA

  • Eligibility

    • High School, College

    • 75% or more full-time students

    • No minimum of team members

  • Registration

    Start Your Registration

    Registration Fee: $1,500

    Registration Closes: April 1, 2026

  • Cancellation Policy and Deadlines

    Submit a Cancellation Form

    April 12 | 50% Refund Deadline

  • Team Resources

    Review the Team Resources

Competition Timeline

December 01 – April 01 | Registration (Registration Portal)

January 29, 7:00pm EDT | TeamTime #1 (Register)

April 12 | 50% Refund Deadline (Cancellation Policy)

April 16, 7:00pm EST | TeamTime #2 (Register)

May 27 | Submission Deadline (Registration Portal)

June 11, 7:00pm EST | TeamTime #3 (Register)

July 11-16 | RoboSub 2026

Resources

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Team Handbook

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TeamTime Recordings

Recordings will be published here within 2 business days after the TeamTime sessions.

TeamTime #1: January 29, 2026

TeamTime #2: April 16, 2026

TeamTime #3: June 11, 2026

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Schedules

Schedules will be published here soon!

Event Details

Traveling to the Competition

FIND YOUR WAY

  • Rome2Rio is a great resource to navigate local transportation.

Lodging at the Competition

EVENT HOTEL: Coming Soon!

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS

Many teams reserve a short-term rental in the area. Several cities in Orange County have implemented bans or strict regulations on Airbnb and other short-term rentals. RoboNation recommends that staying in a hotel is going to be a more reliable and secure option.

Recommended areas for your stay can be found here.

RoboSub 2026 - RoboSub

Meet the Teams

Duke University
Duke University
Duke Robotics Club

Durham, North Carolina, USA

Website | Instagram

The Duke Robotics Club (DRC) is a student-led team at Duke University dedicated to designing and building autonomous underwater vehicles. Reestablished after the pandemic, DRC has rapidly grown into a competitive and collaborative group. The team emphasizes technical innovation, interdisciplinary learning, and hands-on engineering experience while preparing the next generation of students to push the boundaries of underwater robotics.

École de technologie supérieure
École de technologie supérieure
SONIA

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Website | Facebook | Instagram

 

S.O.N.I.A (Système d’Opération Nautique Intelligent et Autonome) is a scientific club from École de Technologie Supérieure in Montreal, QC, which has been designing and manufacturing autonomous submarines for 27 years. S.O.N.I.A was founded in 1999 and its members have designed a total of 9 autonomous submarines since. The club is made up of students from engineering programs in mechanics, electrical, automated production and software.

Troy High School NJROTC
Troy High School NJROTC
TROY SPEAR

Fullerton, California, USA

Website

 

SPEAR is a high school team from Troy High School in Fullerton, CA. SPEAR is unique because all members must also be enrolled in the Naval JROTC (NJROTC) program. Our program was initiated in 2019 and this will be our fourth year competing in person.

University of British Columbia Okanagan
University of British Columbia Okanagan
UBC Okanagan Marine Robotics

Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

Website | Instagram

 

UBC Okanagan Marine Robotics (UBC OKMR) is a student-led engineering team at UBC Okanagan focused on designing and developing advanced Autonomous Underwater Vehicles for competition and real-world marine applications. Our AUV division leads systems engineering, perception, controls, and underwater robotics research while fostering hands-on learning. Beyond competition, we run STEM outreach, high-school mentorship, and community engagement programs to inspire future engineers and expand access to marine robotics education.

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