JRA RoboCup Competition Season
General Information
The JRA Competition Season involves participants preparing for and competing in one of the three RoboCup event categories below.
Participants will be able to attend 16 weekly afternoon sessions to learn, build, code and prepare for each competition. There are 3 competitions throughout this period with two Regional comps (Bundaberg & Rockhampton) & the State Championships (Brisbane).
All school aged students are eligible to compete in RoboCup events. JRA are looking for students in Year 5 and above to participate.
Prices are set for teams and therefore divided by the number of team members. The ‘Base Price’ includes any Regional Competition entry fees. Teams wishing to participate in the Qld State Championships will be charged an additional $120 to cover the competition entry fee. This will be payable closer to the event (in August) and is divided by attending participants.
Team numbers are limited based on available kits and chosen categories for the season. This keeps numbers down and allows for greater support for each team.
Teams will receive mentor support throughout the season as well as the mentor attending each competition event.
How It Works
Each category has different requirements/rules that participants must follow. However, the following applies to all teams.
Participants sign up to their chosen event as either an individual, pair or as a team.
Teams receive allocated robotics kits and any necessary additional components based on the chosen category e.g. IR Sensors, extra motors etc.
Team kits will be allocated for the duration of the JRA RoboCup Competition Season as each team will have uniquely designed and built robots.
Teams will have access to necessary materials during sessions to practice their chosen event e.g. soccer field/ball, stage area, rescue courses etc.
Weekly afternoon sessions - teams prepare for the upcoming competitions by designing, building and coding their robots to adhere to the rules and compete in their chosen category.
Competitions - teams will compete directly against their opponents, i.e. soccer, or earn points based on their performance, i.e. Rescue & On-Stage.
Season Dates
The season spans 16 school weeks across Terms 2 and 3. After school sessions run for 70 minutes, once a week, for the duration of the season. The dates for the 2025 competition season afternoon sessions are:
Term 1: Thursday 24th April - Thursday 26th June
Term 2: Thursday 17th July - Thursday 14th August
Participants are then invited to compete in three different RoboCup events to officially test their projects against other competitors in their chosen category. These events include
Bundaberg Regional RoboCup Competition (20th June)
CQU Junior Robotics Competition in Rockhampton (1st August)
QLD RoboCup State Championships in Brisbane (UQ St. Lucia Campus) (16/17th August)
Rescue (Line)
In a simulated disaster zone, robots must navigate a maze full of obstacles by following a line. Once through the maze, the robot needs to rescue the ‘survivors’ from a chemical spill before saving itself and finding its way back out of the maze.
Competitions will see teams run through multiple different mazes (usually 5 or more) to earn points and record times. Points and times are tallied with the top performing teams entering the finals. Teams in the final will compete against each other in ‘Head to Head’ rounds to determine the overall places.
Team Size = 1-2 participants
Base Price = $450 per team
(N.B. an additional $120 will be charged per team if participating in the Championships. This covers the competition entry fee and won’t be charged until closer to the event (August).
Teams = no. of teams based on available kits after other categories have been allowed for.
On-Stage
A group of participants must plan, design, build and code a 1-2 minute stage show to be completed autonomously by multiple robots. The stage show could tell a story, dance/perform to a song, teach, showcase an event and many more.
Competitions see all teams run through their performance for a panel of judges (and the audience) before completing an interview. Teams are awarded points for their performance, robot builds, coding and the interview. The top ranked teams go through to a final where they will perform again to determine the overall places.
Team Size = 1 - 4 participants
Base Price = $550 per team
(N.B. an additional $120 will be charged per team if participating in the Championships. This covers the competition entry fee and won’t be charged until closer to the event (August).
Teams = max. of 2 On-Stage teams in the 2025 season
N.B. participants may need to source additional materials for props/costumes.
Standard Soccer
Teams take to the field in a 2 vs 2 completely automated robotic soccer match. Robots chase around an infrared emitting soccer ball while trying to find the goal. Participants will design and create a holonomic wheel base using omnidirectional wheels so the robots can move in all directions. Teams will need to create and test their own tactics for attacking and defending on their journey to become soccer champions.
Competitions see all teams face off in preliminary rounds. These are held like group stages of a soccer tournament with teams earning points based on wins and draws. The top ranked teams in the preliminary round qualify for the finals. Finals are held as do or die knockout rounds to determine the overall places.
Team Size = 1 - 4 participants
Base Price = $600 per team
(N.B. an additional $120 will be charged per team if participating in the Championships. This covers the competition entry fee and won’t be charged until closer to the event (August).
Teams = max. of 2 Soccer teams in the 2025 season