Over 380 Students From Across Asia To Compete in RoboRoarZ Singapore 2026
At first glance, it looks like a simple game: push rubber ducks from land into water. But at RoboRoarZ Singapore 2026 – the world’s first reconfigurable robotics competition, the task becomes a test of creativity, strategy, and engineering skill.
Now in its fifth run in Singapore, RoboRoarZ brings together over 380 students across three categories – Junior, Senior and Tertiary from Singapore and international institutions across Asia from countries like China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Oman, making RoboRoarZ Singapore 2026 one of the most diverse runs of the competition to date. Using Smorphi, a reconfigurable robotic platform developed by the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), students design, code, and operate robots to complete different challenges.
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The competition challenge for 2026 places students in a playful yet complex scenario. Teams must program and configure their robots to push rubber ducks from a grass patch into designated ‘water’ zones, earning points for each successful delivery. As the age group increases, the task becomes more demanding, with obstacles and special zones that offer bonus points but require greater precision and control.
While simple in concept, the challenge is deliberately open-ended and there is no single correct solution. Students must decide how to reconfigure their robots, plan their movement strategies, and balance speed against accuracy — reflecting real-world engineering problems where conditions change and creativity often determines success.
Meenakshi Ramasubramanian (centre left) & Jonathan Lim Wei Kang (centre right) with their team from Singapore Polytechnic.
Year 2 Computer Engineering students from Singapore Polytechnic, Jonathan Lim Wei Kang and Meenakshi Ramasubramanian, shared their excitement about the opportunity to interact with and learn from peers across the region, an experience they said broadened their perspectives, adding, “RoboRoarZ 2026 was really fun, the challenges were really interesting and it was nice to see different countries like India, Oman, Indonesia, Malaysia, China and Vietnam at the event and we hope to participate in RoboRoarZ 2027 again!”
Founded in 2023 by Professor Mohan Elara Rajesh of SUTD, with Dr Bhagya Samarakoon serving as Competition Chair, RoboRoarZ has been run five times in Singapore since its launch in 2023, alongside international editions in India, Indonesia, and Malaysia in 2025 with further overseas runs planned for 2026 in countries including Sri Lanka, China, Vietnam, South Korea and Oman. Guided by its tagline, “Building STEM Talent, Bridging Asian Youths,” RoboRoarZ aims to connect young innovators across borders through hands-on STEM learning.
As shared by the Founding Chair of RoboRoarZ, Associate Professor Mohan Rajesh Elara from the Singapore University of Technology and Design, “RoboRoarZ was created to empower young innovators to learn by building, failing, and re-imagining solutions through robotics. In 2026, we are proud to take RoboRoarZ to 10 countries, creating a truly global platform for student innovation, collaboration, and cultural exchange. The Singapore edition will serve as the grand finale, bringing together the best teams from around the world to celebrate not just technical excellence, but creativity, resilience, and teamwork. This is about shaping confident problem-solvers who are ready for a future shaped by technology.”
Assoc. Prof. Mohan, RoboRoarZ Founding Chair at the Opening Ceremony 2026.
Beyond technical performance, RoboRoarZ also emphasises safe design, responsible experimentation, and awareness of how robots interact with people and their surroundings. As students navigate obstacles and bonus zones, they are encouraged to think about control, reliability, and safety — principles that are increasingly important as robotics becomes more integrated into everyday environments. RoboRoarZ Singapore 2026 is made possible through the support of its sponsors, who share a commitment to nurturing future-ready STEM talent. This year’s sponsors include LionsBot, Mapletree Investments, the James Dyson Foundation, Kajima, and ADT Solutions.
Dr. Andrew Lee(Left), Independent Non-Executive Director, Mapletree Industrial Trust Management Ltd with students from One World International School
Said Mr Edmund Cheng, Chairman, Mapletree Investments: “Education is one of the four pillars of Mapletree’s Corporate Social Responsibility Framework, complemented by initiatives that nurture curiosity and deepen learning. By supporting RoboRoarZ for the second consecutive year, we hope to provide students with a hands-on opportunity to explore robotics, spark their interest and build skills that will benefit them well into the future.”
In addition, the competition is supported by our partners, including IEEE Singapore Section, IEEE Women in Engineering Singapore Section, IEEE NUS Student Branch, Workplace Safety and Health Council, Wefaa Robotics, and SUTD DesignZ, and a steering committee of lecturers, professors, and industry professionals from various institutions and companies who contribute expertise, industry perspectives, and educational support to the competition.
RoboRoarZ’s long-term vision is to become Asia’s leading platform for youth engagement in STEM, inspiring more than 10,000 students and 30 educational institutions annually to innovate and collaborate through robotics.
More information about RoboRoarZ can be found at www.roboroarz.com.
Background
RoboRoarZ is the world’s first reconfigurable robotics competition, founded in 2023 by Professor Mohan Elara Rajesh of the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), with Dr Bhagya Samarakoon serving as Competition Chair. Built around the SUTD-designed reconfigurable robot Smorphi, RoboRoarZ adopts a design-centred approach that emphasises creativity, adaptability, and real-world problem solving.
Open to students from primary school through university, RoboRoarZ challenges participants to design, code, and iterate robotic solutions that respond dynamically to changing task requirements. Beyond technical skills, the competition seeks to cultivate collaboration, critical thinking, and confidence among young innovators.
Since its launch, RoboRoarZ has expanded rapidly across the region, with multiple runs in Singapore and international editions in Malaysia, Indonesia, and India, and further expansion planned across Asia for 2026. Guided by its tagline, “Building STEM Talent, Bridging Asian Youths,” RoboRoarZ aims to create a sustainable ecosystem that connects students, educators, industry partners, and institutions through meaningful STEM engagement.