The Neura Robotics Challenge (NRC) aims to bring together top talent from universities across Europe to foster creativity, collaboration, and innovation in the field of robotics in Europe. By providing cutting-edge robot platforms and a significant prize pool, NRC will serve as a catalyst for breakthrough research and applications that push the boundaries of human-robot interaction.

Challenge Overview

• Participants: Research institutes and students, researchers or faculty from accredited European universities.
• Scope: Participants are invited to propose novel ideas, applications and research directions for state-of-the-art robots in the categories of humanoid robots, cognitive robots and mobile manipulators. One of the categories must be selected.
• Finalists: Five selected teams will receive URDF files and real robots to develop and implement their proposed solutions.
• Final Event: A culminating event where finalists will demonstrate their projects. The competition winners will be awarded from a total prize pool of 150,000 EUR.

Objectives

1. Promote Innovation: Encourage cutting-edge research and application development in humanoid and cognitive robotics.
2. Foster Collaboration: Bring together teams from various disciplines—engineering, AI, human-computer interaction, and more—to tackle complex challenges.
3. Accelerate Impact: Support the creation of solutions that have strong potential for real-world impact across sectors (healthcare, education, manufacturing, etc.).

Eligibility and Team Composition

1. Who Can Apply: Current students (undergraduate, master’s, or PhD) and faculty researchers affiliated with any recognized European university.
2. Team Size: Minimum of 3 and maximum of 10 members.
3. Diversity Encouraged: Multidisciplinary teams are highly encouraged (e.g., engineering, computer science, design, psychology).

Proposal Submission Guidelines

1) Concept Paper (max. 3 pages):

• Title & Abstract: Summarize the project in one paragraph.
• Problem Statement: Identify the real-world problem or research question being addressed.
• Proposed Solution: Outline the idea, potential methodology, and unique contributions.
• Project Roadmap: Highlight the developmental phases, milestones, and expected outcomes.
• Team Expertise: Provide brief bios or relevant experience of key team members.
• Submission Deadline: 28.02.2025

2) Supporting Documents:

• Budget Overview: Any projected costs or resources needed (beyond the provided robot).
• Ethical Considerations: If the solution involves sensitive data, human subjects, or potential safety issues, include a section on ethical and regulatory compliance.

IP Rights

• Teams have to make sure no IP rights of others are being hurt.
• NEURA may continue to use the developed apps and solutions in the Neuraverse.

Selection Process and Criteria

1) Initial Screening (Expert Panel Review): Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Innovativeness: Originality and creativity of the approach.
• Feasibility: Technical viability and clear development plan.
• Impact: Potential to address real-world needs and contribute to robotics research.
• Team Competence: Expertise and ability to deliver.

2) Announcement of Finalists: Five best proposals will be selected to receive robot platforms to build and test their solutions.

Development Phase for Finalists

1. Robotics Platform: Each of the five finalist teams will be provided with a state-of-the-art robot.
2. Mentorship and Resources: Finalists may access industry experts, potential sponsors, and advanced tools or lab facilities (where applicable).
3. Progress Check-Ins: Teams will participate in virtual Q&A sessions and milestone reviews with the judging committee to ensure steady progress.

Final Event
1) Demonstrations: Each team will present and demonstrate their robot solution to a panel of experts, industry professionals, and an invited audience at one of the biggest venues in Germany, automatica 2025.

2) Evaluation: The judging committee will assess the final projects on:

• Technical Excellence: Performance, reliability, and sophistication.
• Innovation & Creativity: Novelty of approach and features.
• Impact & Scalability: Applicability to real-world challenges, potential for future development.
• Presentation & Teamwork: Quality of demonstration and collaboration among team members.

3) Award Ceremony: Prizes will be allocated from a total pool of 150,000 EUR.

• Grand Prize
• Second & Third Place
• Special Recognition (e.g., Best Design, Social Impact Award)

Timeline

1. Call for Proposals: Announced — 28.01.2025
2. Submission Deadline: 28.02.2025
3. Review and Finalists Announcement: 07.03.2025
4. Development Phase: 08.03.-23.06.2025
5. Final Event: 24.06.2025 @automatica

Why Participate

1. Exclusive Access to a Cutting-Edge Robot: Work hands-on with a high-end robotics platform.
2. Network and Collaboration: Connect with leading experts, industry sponsors, and peers across Europe.
3. Funding & Recognition: A chance to win significant prize money and gain international recognition for your research and applications.
4. Long-Term Impact: Potential for your solution to be further developed, commercialized, or integrated into larger research initiatives.

Conclusion
The NRC to ignite new ideas, encourage multi-disciplinary collaboration, and support the next generation of innovators in the rapidly expanding field of robotics. We invite all European universities to participate in this exciting journey, share visionary proposals, and compete for an opportunity to shape the future of robotics.

Apply via email here:​
[email protected]

We look forward to receiving your submissions and witnessing the groundbreaking solutions that will emerge from this challenge!

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