Over 1,100 participants from Germany, Europe and Asia in Cologne. Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär recognizes the competition as a “talent factory” for Germany as a location. 15 percent growth in college and school teams underscores increasing importance of AI and robotics.
The RoboCup German Open 2026 consolidates its position as a leading European innovation engine for AI-based robotics. From March 10th to 14th, over 1,100 participants gathered at the didacta educational trade fair in Cologne to push the boundaries of technology in visionary scenarios such as autonomous football, household, industrial or rescue robotics. Around 280 highly motivated teams from universities, colleges and schools presented their developments and thus provided decisive impetus for systematic benchmarking for research and technology readiness.
As a driver of innovation, the RoboCup German Open addresses the entire educational chain from the 5th grade to the doctorate. The event thus ensures the sustainable transfer of talent and technologies in business and science. What is particularly pleasing is the growing number of participating teams, which has increased by more than 15 percent compared to the previous year.
Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär underlines the importance for Germany
“I warmly congratulate the winning teams of the RoboCup German Open,” said Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space. “Not only did they win, but all of Germany won. Because: The RoboCup is a talent factory and an important instrument for introducing young people to AI-based robotics in order to get them excited about MINT subjects and careers or starting their own companies in the MINT sector. So that top research becomes visible and future top people advance innovation from Germany. This is also a goal of our High-Tech Agenda Germany. Germany has strong research and is strong in the manufacturing industry and economy – an ecosystem in which AI-based robotics will develop huge potential.”
As patron of the RoboCup German Open 2026, Federal Research Minister Bär officially opened the competitions. During a subsequent tour, she discussed innovative robotics solutions with researchers and students.
University and school teams with self-developed autonomous robots at the start
This year, over 50 university teams were represented in the RoboCupMajor leagues, including teams from Germany, Italy, Austria, Netherlands, Türkiye, China and Japan. In the respective leagues, the robots had to make and implement complex, situation-dependent decisions completely or partially autonomously in real time. Special challenges arise in the @Home (service robot) and especially Rescue (rescue robot) leagues due to different degrees of structure of the environment. In contrast, soccer (football) focuses on autonomy and team cooperation in a particularly dynamic environment. System stability was needed under competitive pressures, which also required careful resource and time management. “By participating in the competition, researchers and students acquire important technical and interdisciplinary qualifications that go far beyond traditional courses,” emphasized Prof. Dr. Oskar von Stryk, from the German RoboCup committee and organizer TU Darmstadt.
In the RoboCupJunior area, the national final of the best German school teams, 230 in total, was held at the German Open. They qualified in nine regional preliminary tournaments. For junior participants aged 10 to 19, the competition serves as a platform to promote fun in tinkering, programming and teamwork. Participation has a long-term effect: many children who join RoboCup groups in the 5th grade remain involved in technology, computer science and natural sciences for years. “The young people’s high level of self-motivation, teamwork, resilience and creative problem-solving skills are impressive and develop exactly the skills that are central to a sustainable educational republic,” says von Stryk.
The Rapidly Manufactured Robot Challenge (RMRC) is a specialized bridging league in which participants develop complex yet cost-effective, often 3D printed robots to complete simulated rescue missions and dexterity tasks. It serves as a link between the junior and major competitions.
Outlook for the World Cup
Many of the winning teams will now prepare intensively for the upcoming RoboCup Junior European Championships in Vienna at the beginning of June and the RoboCup World Championships in South Korea at the end of June. The RoboCup German Open has once again shown that it is an indispensable stop on the way to international robotics success.
Next year, the RoboCup World Championships will be held in Germany for the first time in over a decade, from June 15th to 21st, 2027 in Nuremberg. At the same time, this is the 30th anniversary of the RoboCup, in which thousands of teams from more than 50 countries take part in regional and national competitions worldwide every year.
Major league results:
Small Size League
1st place – TIGERs Mannheim, DHBW Mannheim
2nd place – ER-Force, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg
3. Platz – KIKS, National Institute of Technology, Toyota College
Humanoid Soccer League
Small Devision
1. Platz – ZJUDancer, Zhejiang University
2nd place – Hamburg Bit-Bots, University of Hamburg
3rd place – Berlin United, Humboldt University of Berlin
Middle Devision
1st place – B-Human, University of Bremen and German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence
2. Platz – HTWK Robots, HTWK Leipzig
3. Platz – whIRLwind Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam (UvA)
Large Devision
1st place – B-Human, University of Bremen and German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence
@Home League
1st place – NimbRo, University of Bonn
2nd place – ToBI, Bielefeld University
Smart Manufacturing League
Workshop EAI Overal Winner
1st place – GM-Force Cologne, TH Cologne
Workshop EAI Best-in-Class „Warehouse“
1st place – Team robOTTO, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
Workshop EAI Best-in-Class „Assembly“
1st place – GM-Force Cologne, TH Cologne
Rescue Robot League
1. Platz – AleRT, MASKOR – Institute for Mobile Autonomous Systems and Cognitive Robotics
2nd place – Team DYNAMICS, FH OÖ – Campus Wels
3rd place – AutonOhm Rescue, Nuremberg Georg-Simon-Ohm University of Technology
Rapidly Manufactured Robot Challenge
1st place – CJTec, Christoph-Jacob-Treu, Lauf ad Pegnitz high school
2nd place – Bento Robotics, Wilhelm Löhe School Nuremberg
3rd place – CJT Bot Banditen, Christoph-Jacob-Treu Gymnasium Lauf ad Pegnitz
Junior league results:
OnStage
OnStage Entry
1st place – rtc gransee – junior, Strittmatter-Gymnasium in Gransee
2nd place – The Sour Glowworms, Lessing-Gymnasium Neu-Ulm
OnStage
1st place – atheAmadeus, Athenaeum Gymnasium in Stade
2. Platz – rtc gransee – goofy tech, Strittmatter-Gymnasium in Gransee
3rd place – SquareCodes, Lion-Feuchtwanger-Gymnasium in Munich
Soccer
1vs1 Entry
1. Platz – Penguins on Wheels, Alexander-von-Humboldt Gymnasium in Berlin
2nd place – No Name Penguins, Alexander-von-Humboldt Gymnasium in Berlin
3rd place – LuSi, Student Research Center South Württemberg e. V. Wangen location
1vs1 Lightweight
1st place – XBOT, RoCCI eV in Senden
2nd place – Team Alt+F4, Bad Zwischenahn-Edewecht high school
3rd place – Bodensee Devils, high school in the Markdorf education center
2vs2 Infrared
1st place – Mathimazierer, Lessing-Gymnasium Neu-Ulm
2nd place – Bodensee Drachen, high school in the Markdorf education center
3rd place – Bohlebots Pompeii, Haan High School
2vs2 Vision
1st place – Bohlebots Atlantis, Haan High School
2nd place – Bodensee Adler, high school in the Markdorf education center
3rd place – Team Faabs, Lessing-Gymnasium Neu-Ulm
Rescue
Simulation
1st place – Roger!Roger!, Burgdorf High School
Line Entry
1st place – Brain, Korntal-Münchingen High School
2nd place – Blank, Korntal-Münchingen High School
3rd place – Die Steine, Herbartgymnasium Oldenburg
Line
1st place – BioBrause, University of Kassel Workshop
2nd place – DinA4, South Württemberg Student Research Center (SFZ) – Stockach
3rd place – BIGG-IRMI, Student Research Center South Württemberg e. V. – cheeks
Maze Entry
1st place – KaMa Robots, University of Kassel Workshop
2nd place – Cyber Knights, University of Kassel Workshop
3rd place – fried noodles, KGS Rastede
Maze
1st place – RRR Kabelmüsli, South Württemberg Student Research Center (SFZ) – Tuttlingen
2nd place – Bodensee Dogs, high school in the Markdorf education center
3rd place – Bodensee Beavers, high school in the Markdorf education center
Parallel to the RoboCup German Open 2026, the 2nd German Robotics Conference, the leading specialist conference on the subject of AI-supported robotics, took place from March 11th to 13th at the Koelnmesse, organized by the Robotics Institute Germany. The conference brought together leading representatives from politics, science, business and start-ups to strengthen the connection between research, innovation and technology transfer and offered current insights into the future of intelligent robotics.
This year the RoboCup German Open was held as part of didacta 2026. As the largest and most important education trade fair in Europe, didacta presents all relevant education topics and promotes dialogue in the education industry.
The RoboCup German Open 2026 was carried out by the RoboCup Committee Germany and the Technical University of Darmstadt with support from WorldSkills Germany and in exchange with the Robotics Institute Germany. The event is sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space. She also receives significant support from the Hans and Ria Messer Foundation. Furthermore, numerous partners and sponsors supported the implementation of the RoboCup German Open 2026, including the Gisela and Erwin Sick Foundation, NetCologne, Maxtronics Robotics SAS and Micro-Epsilon Messtechnik GmbH & Co. KG.
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