RoboNation’s 2027 Season Theme: Discover the Unknown
Building understanding where information is incomplete.
Every mission begins with a question: What don’t we know?
Before we can act with confidence, we must first understand the environment in front of us. Robotic systems extend our ability to reach places we cannot easily go, observe what we cannot readily see, and transform uncertainty into understanding. Every discovery lays the foundation for better decisions, new discoveries, and meaningful action.
As part of RoboNation’s overarching long-term strategy, 2027 marks the introduction of a two-year competition cycle. During this cycle, RoboNation-hosted events in the surface, underwater, and air domains will operate within a shared world and operating context.
The events SeaPerch, RoboBoat, RoboSub, SUAS, and RobotX will share this common world while maintaining challenges specific to their respective domains. The two-year cycle will culminate in the 2028 RobotX event, where teams participating in the individual events will have the opportunity to demonstrate advanced levels of performance across multiple operating domains.
While the 2028 Season Theme will not be identical to the 2027 theme, teams can expect the two-year cycle to provide greater continuity and more opportunities to build, refine, and advance their capabilities over time. Core competition courses will remain largely consistent across both years, while the challenges presented to teams may evolve based on how they are asked to interact with the environment.
2027 Operational Environment: Island Harbor & Coastal Environment
The 2027 operational environment is centered around a remote island community built around a protected harbor and marina. The surrounding area includes coastal waters, developed communities, transportation networks, public infrastructure, and natural resources.
The operational environment encompasses the harbor entrance, navigation channels, working waterfront, nearshore waters, shoreline infrastructure, and adjacent inland areas that support the community.
The coastal harbor serves as the central hub, where maritime, aerial, and land-based operations converge within a shared geographic setting. The surrounding shoreline provides access to developed infrastructure, transportation corridors, public facilities, and natural coastal features.
Together, these elements create a single operational environment that extends from the water and shoreline into the adjacent inland areas.
One shared world. Multiple domains. Countless opportunities to discover, learn from one another, innovate, and advance. Are you ready to enter the environment and take on the challenges ahead?
RoboBoat
Dates: February 18-23, 2027
Location: Nathan Benderson Park (Sarasota, Florida)
Click here to find out more.
International SeaPerch Challenge
Dates: June 5-6, 2027
Location: University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland)
Click here to find out more.
IGVC (Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition)
Dates: June 4-8, 2027
Location: Oakland University (Rochester, Michigan)
Click here to find out more.
RoboSub
Dates: August 10-15, 2027
Location: Woollett Aquatics Center (Irvine, California)
Click here to find out more.
SUAS (Student Unmanned Aerial Systems) Competition
Dates: October 1-4, 2027
Location: Skyway Range (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Click here to find out more.
IARC (International Aerial Robotics Competition)
Dates: Submit Applications from January to March 2027
Click here to find out more.
Virtual RobotX Competition
Dates: July-September 2027
Location: Virtual
Click here to find out more.
