“When we look at workforce development opportunities like RoboSub, it’s both a test of this generation’s engineering skills and a glimpse into the future of uncrewed systems.”
Daryl Davidson, RoboNation, President and CEO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RoboSub 2025 Brings Global Engineering Talent to Irvine to Tackle Maritime Autonomy
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA — RoboNation is bringing the next generation in technology to the forefront as it hosts the 28th Annual RoboSub Competition from August 11-17 in Irvine, California. The international event challenges student teams to design, build, and deploy fully autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in a high-energy arena simulated after real-world maritime operations.
Set to be the largest RoboSub to date, the 2025 competition will bring 58 teams from 18 U.S. states and territories and 9 countries to the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in the heart of Orange County.
Teams will complete missions that include locating acoustic pingers, navigating obstacle courses, identifying marine markers, deploying mock payloads, and surfacing with precision, mirroring the types of complex and autonomous operations used in modern ocean scientific research, industry, and defense.
“Competitions like RoboSub help fill a critical workforce gap by providing hands-on experience in maritime autonomy, systems integration, and problem-solving in a high-stakes environment,” said Daryl Davidson, President and CEO of RoboNation. “When we look at workforce development opportunities like RoboSub, it’s both a test of this generation’s engineering skills and a glimpse into the future of uncrewed systems.”
RoboSub continues to serve as a key intersection of education, workforce development, and industry. Support for this year’s event includes partners such as the Office of Naval Research, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC Pacific), BuildSubmarines.com, MathWorks, SOLIDWORKS, and California-based Blue Robotics.
RoboSub is open to the public. Underwater runs begin August 12, with the competition culminating in the Finals at 12:00 PM on Saturday, August 17.
Media Day will take place on Wednesday, August 13, though members of the press are welcome throughout the event. For event details or interview requests, contact Alicia Gavin at agavin@robonation.org, and visit robosub.org to learn more.
About RoboNation:
RoboNation, a nonprofit organization, is on a mission to provide hands-on robotics education, empowering students to tackle global challenges. With a portfolio of nine educational programs spanning K-12 and university levels, RoboNation cultivates the next generation of engineers, manufacturers, fabricators, programmers, and more. Participants in RoboNation programs represent the highly skilled workforce of tomorrow. Learn more at robonation.org.
Media Contact:
Alicia Gavin
Director of Communications and Marketing, RoboNation
Email: agavin@robonation.org
Phone: 571-455-4156
