The spirit of the RomeCup 2026 competitions: design, trial and error, collaboration and passion
Having explored the RomeCup 2026 through the eyes of the teachers and students, we now delve into the heart of the competitions, where educational robotics becomes a hands-on experience of learning, collaboration and personal growth.
On the competition pitches, young people showcase the work of months: rescue robots, explorers, footballers, robotic performances and prototypes to be tested in real time. Each challenge brings together programming, electronics, mechanics, strategy, observational skills and teamwork. But above all, it presents young people with a decisive challenge: to make something that previously existed only as an idea, code or simulation work in the real world.
This is one of the aspects that emerges most strongly from the accounts of the winning teams at RomeCup 2026. For many participants, robotics is a way to ‘bring programming into the real world’: not just writing software, but seeing an algorithm turn into movement, decision-making, correction and interaction with the environment.
The competition forces participants to deal with the unexpected. A sensor might not read correctly, a trajectory might change, or a robot might come to a halt just a few centimetres from the target. It is at that moment that the competition becomes a real training ground: it demands clear thinking, collaboration, the ability to analyse the error and to start again.
Team Astrobot, winner of the Rescue Line category, illustrates this aspect well. Their success came after months of work, testing and refinements, in a category where the robot must simulate rescue operations by following a route, overcoming obstacles and dealing with critical situations. Victory is not just the final moment of the competition, but the culmination of a long process involving design, testing and continuous improvements.
The same spirit emerges from the experiences of the winners of the Explorer Senior category and Team Robolander, who took first place in Explorer Junior. In these challenges, the robots must navigate unfamiliar spaces, orient themselves, recognise signals and adapt to scenarios simulating exploration and environmental monitoring activities. Here, technical precision is intertwined with the ability to interpret the context and devise reliable solutions.
The competitions also demonstrate that age is not the only indicator of competence. Very young students, even as young as 14 or 15, can compete against more experienced teams, bringing fresh ideas, energy and original solutions. The competition thus becomes a forum where preparation, attention to detail, the ability to work together and to learn from others are what count.
In the Soccer Infrared League, won by Team Ikaro, the competitive aspect is even more evident. The matches are hard-fought, fast-paced and thrilling. Behind every move, however, lies complex work: the robots must recognise the ball, navigate the space, react to opponents, collaborate and make decisions in a very short space of time. Here too, robotic football becomes a testing ground for artificial intelligence, autonomy and coordination.
With Team Ram, winner of the On Stage Advanced category, robotics meets creativity. In this competition, it is not just technical performance that counts, but also the ability to construct a narrative, a scene, and a relationship between robots, people, music and movement. It is a category that demonstrates how technology and forms of expression can interact, opening up robotics to artistic, communicative and design skills as well.
The teams’ stories often recount journeys spanning several years. Some achieve victory after finishing second in the previous edition; others refine their robot year on year; and others turn a technical challenge into a more effective solution. The competition is not seen as an isolated event, but as part of a journey of growth.
Team Ginocchio, competing in the Explorer Junior category, also reflects this perspective: the competition is not just the moment when results are measured, but an opportunity to understand how much has been learnt, what can be improved and how the team can grow together.
The value of teamwork is a recurring theme in all these accounts. No robot is the result of a single person’s work. It requires different roles, complementary skills, the ability to listen, and shared decision-making. Some members handle the programming, others the structure, some the sensors, others the testing, whilst others observe the robot’s behaviour on the field and suggest adjustments. Technology thus becomes an exercise in collaboration.
The role of teachers, tutors, schools, universities and the wider educational community is also fundamental. RomeCup, promoted by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, builds an ecosystem around the competitions in which young people’s passion is supported, guided and given opportunities for discussion. The involvement of Sapienza University of Rome strengthens this bridge between education, research and career guidance.
This is why the RomeCup competitions are not merely technical contests. They are experiences that develop deep-rooted skills: tackling complex problems, dealing with mistakes, working under pressure, communicating, collaborating, embracing challenge and improving.
At a time when robotics and artificial intelligence are becoming an ever-greater part of daily life, the RoboCup shows young people that technology is not something to be endured or consumed, but a field to be explored, designed and understood.
This is the very essence of the competitions: transforming the contest into learning, passion into expertise, and mistakes into opportunities. And remembering that every robot that takes to the field carries with it a story of study, friendship, hard work and the future.
