RoboCup German Open 2026, Call for Participation - Major Leagues

The 23nd RoboCup German Open 2026 will take place from March 10-14 in Cologne.

Cologne with its welcoming vibe offers a captivating mix of culture, architecture, history, and lively atmosphere. From the awe-inspiring Cologne Cathedral — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — to its dynamic art scene and riverside cafés along the Rhine, the city invites exploration. For example, visitors can enjoy world-class museums, the walkable old town with many bars, or festive events like the Cologne Carnival. Cologne is a perfect destination for both history lovers and urban adventurers and a great host for RoboCup German Open 2026.

Every regional and international Major team is cordially invited to take part in the event.

RoboCup Major Leagues (international teams)

After the team setup on March 10^th, the competitions will take place from 11^th to 14^th of March 2026 in the following main leagues:

• RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League
• RoboCupSoccer Small Size League
• RoboCupRescue Robot League
• RoboCupIndustrial Smart Manufacturing League
• RoboCup@Home League

For Major team registration please visit: https://portal.robocup.de/registry
Registration deadline January 31st, 2026
Late registration deadline (team members only) February 28th, 2026

Teams are advised to arrange their own accommodation as early as possible as cost of accommodation is expected to rise in the run-up of the event.

Most recent rule developments in all leagues, especially the Soccer and Smart Manufacturing Leagues will be considered for the competitions.

Further information on co-located events

RoboCup German Open 2026 will be embedded in didacta 2026, which is Europe's largest education fair and most important continuing education event for teachers. Over 700 exhibitors from more than 60 countries will present their offerings in Cologne. Participants tickets to RoboCup German Open will include didacta tickets as well.

The 2nd German Robotics Conference on AI-powered robotics, organized by the Robotics Institute Germany, will take place from March 11 to 13, 2026, parallel to the RoboCup German Open and in close proximity to it.

RoboCup Junior (German teams)

From March 12-14, 2026 the final event of the German RoboCupJunior Championship will be held at RoboCup German Open 2026 in Cologne. The best teams that have qualified in the nine previous German qualifying tournaments will take part. The best German Junior teams in the 2026 German Junior Final will qualify for RoboCup 2026 in South Korea and for the European RoboCupJunior Competition 2026 in Austria.

Organization Committee

• Oskar von Stryk (General Chair)
• Julian Werner (Project Lead)
• Alexander Ferrein (German RoboCup Committee, Spokesperson Major)
  

The Major Leagues Organizing Committee:

• Heinrich Mellmann (Humanoid Soccer League, former Humanoid & Standard Platform Leagues)
• Nicolai Ommer (Small Size League)
• Johannes Pellenz, Stefan May, Thomas Sander (Rescue Robot League & RMRC)
• Sven Wachsmuth (@Home League)
• Alexander Ferrein, Christoph Steup (Smart Manufacturing League)
  

The Junior Leagues Organizing Committee:

• Lara Trappmann
• Oskar Kirmis
• Niko Lockenwitz
• Michelle Bialdyga
• Christian Häußler
• Lena Eickhoff
• Stefanie Haupt
• Christian Rieseberg

Co-located Events

Parallel to the RoboCup German Open 2026 the second German Robotics Conference of the Robotics Institute Germany (RIG) will take place. The conference will bring together the leading German researchers in AI-based robotics.

The education fair “didacta”, will also take place in Halls 6 to 8, between March 10-14, 2026. All participants will also have access to didacta.

Important dates

• 2025-12-01 Major teams early registration starts
• 2026-01-31 Major teams registration deadline, team member registration deadline
• 2026-02-28 Late registration deadline (team members only)
• 2026-03-10 Set-up day Major League teams
• 2026-03-11 to 14 Competition days
• 2026-03-14 Major and Junior finals

The event is open to the public during all days from 9 am to 5 pm

Contact

Please contact germanopen@robocup.de for any questions.

See you all at the 23rd RoboCup German Open 2026!

Best regards,
German RoboCup Committee