Robot Software and Design Competition

International Conference of Social Robotics – ICSR

10-12 September, Naples, Italy

https://icsr2025.eu/competition/ 

The design and development of different types of robots, along with their intelligence and behaviours, have been steadily advancing. However, the robotics industry is entering new challenges due to the emergence of innovative and intelligent robots designed for a wide range of applications. In particular, we are increasingly seeing the need for embodied AI agents that are able to engage, support and assist people with different needs, preferences and expectations across various aspects of life.

To this extent, we want to invite students, young researchers and more experienced groups to participate in robot software and design competitions that will match today’s increasing demands.

There are three categories:

• Robot design Competition, where teams of students, young researchers can show their design innovative ideas

• @HOME Competition, where teams of young and more experienced researchers can apply advanced techniques for solving real-world problems in a competition format.

• @HOME Hackathon, where teams of students and young researchers can develop social behaviours for HRI in a hackathon format.

The Competitions will be organised in two days:

1. A set-up day on 10/09 will serve for teams to test and adjust their solutions

2. A competition day on 11/09 where teams will show their robotic solutions.

The Hackathon will be organised in two days:

1. A Workshop on 10/09 morning for illustrating the basic functionalities of the robot platforms and how to program them

2. Guided development on 10/09 afternoon with instructors following the teams in the development of some baseline tasks

3. Competition day on 11/09, where teams will develop their solutions and then show them for evaluation.

For each category, we will select the winners. The winners of the challenges will be announced during the Closing Ceremony on September the 12th, 2025.

Submissions

Each submission should have a (maximum) 2-page summary. The template is flexible; however, it should include a concise abstract/synopsis of a maximum of 50 words, and enough details to judge the technical novelty of the proposed solution and/or innovative applications of robots. A single link of related video can be included. Video link is optional, and the maximum duration of the video should be 3 minutes. Please remember that it is not a scientific publication, but the description of a robotics innovation with potential to be developed as a project. Competition chairs, with the help from experts and reviewers, will select the finalists. Each finalist is supposed to register and present their entry at a dedicated session in the conference, which will be further evaluated by the Jury of peers. Email your submission to competition@icsr2025.eu with the subject line including the competition you intend to participate into:

• [ICSR 2025 Robot Design Competition]

• [ICSR 2025 @HOME Competition]

• [ICSR 2025 @HOME Hackathon]