RoboCup German Open 2026

March 10th to 14th 2026, Cologne fair

About the German Open

The event of the year for intelligent robotics

The RoboCup German Open - open to national and international Major teams - will be held again in 2026. The event will take place from March 10 to 14, 2026 at the Messe Köln (major tournament 11.-14.3., junior final tournament 12.-14.3.). About 800 active participants are expected. We expect national attention in the media. The event attracts many visitors every year, including schoolchildren interested in technology, robotics and AI.

The German Robotics Conference, which brings together top German researchers in AI-based robotics, and the Didacta will take place at the same time. The RoboCup German Open are open to the public.
We expect great interest from both experts and the general public. We expect high-caliber visitors paired with a lot of expertise from politics, research and business.

The RoboCup German Open 2026 are organized by the RoboCup Committee Germany and TU Darmstadt with the support of WorldSkills Germany and in exchange with the Robotics Institute Germany (RIG).

Zur Junior Anmeldung für die regionalen Vorturniere Registration for Major Teams

The impact of the RoboCup German Open

Robotics event & science platform: Promoting scientific exchange and testing new technologies.
AI specialist training: Practical training for future experts in robotics and artificial intelligence.
Innovation driver for robotics & AI: Systematic evaluation of intelligent autonomous systems.
Broad range of topics: Multi-robot systems, rescue robots, service robots, mobile production machines.
Benchmarking & future impulses: Development of standards for AI-supported robot systems.
Promotion of young talent: Teaching technical and interdisciplinary skills (e.g., teamwork, problem solving).
Career advancement: Former participants found start-ups or contribute their knowledge to companies.

FAQ

Hotel accommodation

Q: Is there a hotel contract or good conditions for hotel booking for the teams?

A: No, every team hast to do their own booking. There are no deals with hotels, but there a several hotels around the fair.

Certificates Team member

Q: Will each team member registered for the competition receive an individual certificate for participation and, where applicable, for winning?
A: Yes, every team member receives a certificate.

Q: If a team member has registered for the competition but is unable to attend physically due to unforeseen circumstances, would they still be eligible to receive a certificate?
A: We are also able to give the certificate if a team member is not able to attend but has registered beforehand.

Team size

Q: Is there a maximum capacity on the number of team members allowed for a team, and if so, what is the limit?
A: There is no specific limit.

Payment registration fee

Q: Could you please clarify the payment process for team and team member registration, specifically by what methods they are to be made (e.g.,bank transfer, online portal, etc.)?
A: Every team receives an invoice to be paid via bank transfer. The approximate timeframe for that is beginning of February.

Guidance shipping for international teams

Q: Does the RoboCup Organization provide any support or guidance related to shipping the robot, as well as travel and accommodation for overseas teams? It would be really helpful if the organizing team could help us with this.
A: Regarding shipping, please reach out to germanopen@robocup.de
Hotel and Travel need to be organized by the teams.

RoboCup@Work/ RoboCup Industrial Smart Manufacturing League

Q: Does RoboCup@Work belongs to “RoboCup Industrial Smart Manufacturing League” for the registration process?
A: Yes, they belong together and you need to pick “RoboCup Industrial Smart Manufacturing League” if you are a RoboCup@Work Team.See detailed information here: https://robocup.org/news/181

Official Invitation letters for international teams

Q: How soon after registration are the official invitation letters issued for the registered team members?
A: First, all team members need to register. After that, the league chairs review the registration and approve the team. Once your team is approved, you will receive the official invitation letter.