The JRA RoboCup Season involves participants preparing for and completing a chosen RoboCup Challenge. These can include a rescue mission, soccer games and/or sumo matches.

Participants will be able to attend weekly sessions to learn, build and code their robots and can choose to compete a variety of competitions. Optional school holiday workshops will also be on offer to kick start projects or to help ensure teams are ready for any upcoming competitions.

All school aged students are eligible to compete in RoboCup events with JRA targeting students from Year 4 through to Year 12.

Prices are set for teams and therefore divided by the number of team members. The ‘Base Price’ includes the Bundaberg/Rockhampton Competition entry fees. Teams wishing to participate in the Qld State Championships will be be required to cover their own registration costs (payable closer to the event.

Teams are limited based on available kits and chosen challenges for the season. This keeps numbers down and allows for greater support for each team.

Each category has different requirements/rules that participants must follow. However, the following applies to all teams.

• Participants sign up to their chosen challenge as either an individual or a team and receive allocated robotics kits along with any additional components e.g. IR Sensors, omni-wheels etc.

• Weekly Sessions: Teams work on their projects under the guidance of an experienced RoboCup mentor with options to learn block and/or text based coding.

• Holiday Workshops (optional): Teams are invited to participate in full day, intensive sessions to kickstart or refine their projects.

• Competitions (optional): teams are invited to compete in official RoboCup events around QLD. These are designed to allow teams to test their projects in a formal setting. The focus for RoboCup (and our program) is on engaging children in a friendly, supportive and collaborative environment, not ‘winning’.

  • Soccer and Rescue challenges run through Terms 2 & 3

  • Sumo runs in Term 4.

Our weekly sessions will see teams meeting each Sunday morning at Elliott Heads State School. Students will be mentored the challenge by our experienced RoboCup mentor, Matt.

Our job during these sessions is to support each team through their robotics journey. This includes design/build tips, teaching a variety of different coding techniques, offering support with debugging and strategies to best complete the challenge.

All robotics and challenge specific equipment will be provided for these sessions with participants only needing to bring a device to code with (laptop, iPad, tablet).

Participants are encouraged to think about their projects during the week to help come up with ideas to test out during the sessions are welcome to email us at any time regarding their project.

Weekly sessions run for 1.5 hours and our intensive, competition holiday sessions will go for 5 hours.

Participants are invited to compete in different RoboCup events to officially test their projects against other competitors in their chosen category. These events include

• Bundaberg Regional RoboCup Competition

  • Wednesday 20th May

• CQU Junior Robotics Competition in Rockhampton

  • Friday 31st July

• QLD RoboCup State Championships in Brisbane (UQ St. Lucia Campus)

  • Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th August

• Bundaberg Regional Sumo Championship

  • Wednesday 28th October

Optional:

• Regional Events include Gladstone and/or Brisbane

• National Championships in Canberra (Oct 2nd-4th)

N.B. Additional entry fees apply to these events.

Team Size = 1 - 4 participants

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.

Preparation Dates:

• Holiday Workshop: 19th April, 9am - 2pm (optional)

• Term 2: Sunday 26th April - Sunday 21st June, 9-10:30am

• Holiday Workshop: 12th July (TBC) 9am - 2pm (optional)

• Term 3: Sunday 19th July - Sunday 9th August, 9-10:30am

Competition Dates (optional)

• Bundaberg Regional RoboCup Competition

  • Wednesday 20th May

• CQU Junior Robotics Competition in Rockhampton

  • Friday 31st July

• QLD RoboCup State Championships in Brisbane (UQ St. Lucia Campus)

  • Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th August

Team Size = 1-2 participants

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.

Preparation Dates:

• Holiday Workshop: 19th April, 9am - 2pm (optional)

• Term 2: Sunday 26th April - Sunday 21st June, 9-10:30am

• Holiday Workshop: 12th July (TBC) 9am - 2pm (optional)

• Term 3: Sunday 19th July - Sunday 9th August, 9-10:30am

Competition Dates (optional)

• Bundaberg Regional RoboCup Competition

  • Wednesday 20th May

• CQU Junior Robotics Competition in Rockhampton

  • Friday 31st July

• QLD RoboCup State Championships in Brisbane (UQ St. Lucia Campus)

  • Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th August

Team Size = 1 - 2 participants

An exciting, action packed challenge to build a ‘sumo’ robot to push your opponent out of the ring. Teams will need to consider size/weight restrictions, traction, offensive/defensive strategies and reliability.

Teams will compete in the Bundaberg Regional Sumo Championships. The competition consists of best of three matches against opposing teams. Teams earn points for each round win, with the top teams moving onto the knockout rounds.

Sumo Preparation Sessions:

• Workshop: 27th Sept (TBC)

• Sunday Sessions: 11th, 18th & 25th October (9am - 11am)

Bundaberg Regional Sumo Championship:

• Wednesday 28th October

Base Price is charged per team and will be divided by the number of team members. It covers equipment, prep sessions and local comp registration fees:

Base Prices:

• Rescue = $300 per team

• Soccer = $500 per team

• Sumo = $125 per team

Teams registering to compete at State and National Championships are required to cover the associated registration fees for these events. 2026 registration fees are:

• QLD State Championships = $135

• National Championships = $145