Regional
Edinburgh
28 February 2026
Hosted at the National Robotarium, Heriot-Watt University.
Event complete
Unibots UK
The 2026 season is underway
Challenging students to create simple machines.
A student-led robotics competition bringing university teams together to design, build, improve, and compete across the UK.
Organised by
3
events across the UK
Autonomous
robots built by students
27-28 June
two-day London finals
New for 2026
More chances to build, test, and improve
This season introduces regional events, giving teams an early opportunity to try the arena, meet other competitors, and take useful lessons back to the workshop before finals.
Regional
Cambridge
21 March 2026
Hosted at the University of Cambridge.
Event completeTwo-day finals
London
27-28 June 2026
Hosted by Queen Mary University of London and University College London.
Up next
The competition
Approachable to start. Open-ended enough to surprise.
Unibots is designed for students with little robotics experience, while leaving plenty of room for creative and ambitious engineering.
- Build a compact, fully autonomous robot as a team
- Collect ping pong balls and steel ball bearings in head-to-head-to-head-to-head matches
- Balance mechanical design, electronics, software, and match strategy
- Learn from other teams and improve between events
How it works
From a first sketch to the finals arena
Teams own the full process. There is no single correct solution, and every match gives you something new to take back to the build table.
Form a team
Bring together friends, coursemates, or a university society and choose your approach.
Design and build
Turn your strategy into a robot that can sense, decide, move, and score on its own.
Test and compete
Meet teams from across the UK, learn in the arena, and see how your ideas perform.
Thinking about entering next season?
Our new start-a-team guide is coming soon. Join the Discord for advice and season announcements.
Our 2026 supporters
Helping student ideas reach the arena
Our sponsors provide the venues, equipment, expertise, and support that make an accessible national competition possible.
The National Robotarium
A global research institute at Heriot-Watt University, creating innovative solutions to global challenges and helping move pioneering robotic, AI, and automated technologies from lab to market.
Visit The National Robotarium →UK Electronics Skills Foundation
The voice for skills in the UK electronics industry. Through engagement with schools, universities, and industry, UKESF encourages more young people to study electronics and pursue careers in the sector.
Visit UKESF →Ooznest
Ooznest empowers makers to bring ideas to life with mechanical project components, from aluminium extrusion systems to application-specific kits. Ooznest proudly sponsors the Unibots UK 2026 arena.
Visit Ooznest →Autodesk
Autodesk is changing how the world is designed and made. From the buildings we live in to the products we use and the movies that inspire us, Autodesk software helps its customers design and make a better world.
Visit Autodesk →
Keep up with Unibots
Follow the builds. Meet the community.
See what teams are making on Instagram, or join Discord for competition updates, technical discussion, and advice from other participants.