Robotics all the RAVE on the Sunshine Coast

Excitement is mounting as the Sunshine Coast gears up to host the RoboRAVE World Championships for the first time in Australia. The event, set to take place on July 13-14 at UniSC, will draw over 4,000 participants and is expected to inject an estimated $1.3 million into the local economy.

The prestigious competition has attracted 34 international teams from countries including China, Egypt, Japan, Mexico, Poland, and Taiwan, showcasing the event's global appeal.

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Rosanna Natoli expressed her enthusiasm for hosting the event. “This is the first time the World Championship event has been held in Australia,” she said. “We are proud to support this event through our Major Events Sponsorship Program, another example of how we are creating opportunities that strengthen our economy now and into the future. We are also committed to fostering youth innovation and STEM career pathways and there is no better place to experience future technologies than right here on our Sunshine Coast.”

RoboRAVE is an internationally renowned series of competitive robotics events designed for participants ranging from primary school students to adults. Teams are tasked with designing, building, and programming fully autonomous robots to complete various challenges. Attendees can look forward to robots tackling vertical surfaces, battling in sumo arenas, and navigating intricate mazes.

Tim Hadwen, President of RoboRAVE Australia, encouraged early registration for participants and volunteers. “The World Championships coming to the region encompasses more than six years of development of the robotics education ecosystem in the Sunshine Coast and around Australia,” Mr. Hadwen said. “We’re looking forward to our biggest event ever with a whole heap of exciting changes to adapt to the scale this competition has grown to."

Teams and volunteers can register on the RoboRAVE Australia website and volunteer page, respectively. Spectator tickets will be available a month before the event.

With the competition promising to be a major highlight, the Sunshine Coast is set to showcase its commitment to innovation and its welcoming spirit to the international robotics community.