European Robotics League 2026: The Hague Hosts the Ultimate Test

About the Event

Mark your calendars for a delightful dose of organized chaos. From May 12-15, 2026, the European Robotics League (ERL) will transform the seaside resort of Scheveningen in The Hague, Netherlands, into a proving ground for Europe’s most ambitious robots. This isn’t your typical trade show floor demo where machines perform perfectly choreographed routines. This is a crucible, an initiative by the international non-profit euRobotics, designed to benchmark robotic systems in the messy, unpredictable environments of the real world.

Forget sterile labs. The competition will unfold in the “Living Lab Scheveningen,” a real-world testbed where robots will have to contend with public spaces, boulevards, and the occasional gust of North Sea air. The event, a collaboration between euRobotics, the City of The Hague, the Province of South Holland, and the City of Rotterdam, aims to push the boundaries of autonomous systems.

This gathering is for anyone who wants to see beyond the hype. It’s a must-attend for robotics engineers, researchers, tech investors, and anyone curious to see if a delivery drone can successfully drop off a defibrillator on a windy beach. Attendees will witness the bleeding edge of automation, network with the brilliant minds behind the machines, and gain a brutally honest perspective on the current state of robotics. And for the public? It’s entirely free to attend and watch the future unfold, one task at a time.

Program Highlights: The Gauntlet

The European Robotics League has a history of challenging teams with tasks that are deceptively simple on paper but maddeningly complex in practice. While the final 2026 “episodes” are still under wraps, the competition is built around the ERL’s core pillars, testing robots in scenarios inspired by Smart Cities and real-world needs. Expect a series of trials focused on practical, valuable, and occasionally hilarious applications.

Based on previous ERL events and the event’s smart city focus, key themes will likely include:

• Urban Logistics & Delivery: Can robots navigate dynamic city environments to deliver goods? This could involve everything from smart delivery bots to drones attempting to execute tasks with precision.
• Inspection and Maintenance: Teams will likely be challenged to deploy robots to perform inspections on public infrastructure, like the iconic Scheveningen Pier.
• Emergency Response: A cornerstone of the ERL, this track tests robots in simulated emergency scenarios. Think search-and-rescue, hazard identification, and data collection when every second counts.
• Human-Robot Interaction: The ultimate test. Robots will have to collaborate with and operate around people in public spaces, performing assistance tasks without causing a diplomatic incident.

Featured Competitors

While the official team roster is yet to be announced, the European Robotics League consistently attracts top-tier talent from Europe’s most prestigious robotics institutes and universities. Past competitions have seen decorated teams like homer@UniKoblenz from Germany and RoboticsLab UC3M from Spain showcasing their prowess. The true stars of the show, however, are the machines themselves. Expect to see a diverse lineup of custom-built ground and air vehicles pushed to their absolute limits.

The competition is a prime scouting ground for talent. It’s where groundbreaking academic research meets the unforgiving laws of physics, and where the next generation of robotics innovators makes its mark.

Preliminary Schedule

The four-day event promises a packed schedule of competition, innovation, and probably a few system reboots.

Day 1-2 (May 12-13, 2026)

• Morning: Team Arrivals, Final Preparations, and Technical Inspections
• Afternoon: Preliminary Competition Rounds across all categories
• Evening: Workshops and Technical Deep Dives

Day 3 (May 14, 2026)

• All Day: Main Competition Heats
• Afternoon: Live Demonstrations for the public and industry partners
• Evening: Networking Events

Day 4 (May 15, 2026)

• Morning: The Finals – Top teams from each category compete for the crown
• Afternoon: Awards Ceremony & Closing Remarks
• Late Afternoon: A collective sigh of relief from all participating engineers

Registration

For spectators, the European Robotics League 2026 is free to attend, offering a unique opportunity to see cutting-edge robotics in action.

For the brave souls looking to compete, team registration is open until February 1, 2026. Dust off your ROS builds, charge your battery packs, and prepare to be judged.

• Register your team at: https://erl2026.eu/
• Audience Admission: Free, no registration required.
• More Information: Full program details will be announced in Spring 2026.