The Swiss team EPFL Xplore, representing the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, became the winner of the 11th edition of the international Mars rover competition, the European Rover Challenge (ERC), which concluded on Sunday in Kraków. The host team – the AGH University of Science and Technology – took third place.
The winning team achieved the highest score, impressing the jury with the precision and innovativeness of their design. Second place went to STAR Dresden e.V., representing the Technical University of Dresden, and third to the AGH Space Systems team from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków.
According to the organizers, the European Rover Challenge is the largest international Mars rover competition in Europe, held every year in Poland. The best academic teams from all over the world take part, testing their rovers in tasks inspired by real space missions.
In the 11th edition, 25 teams competed, selected from more than 100 applications from universities in various countries, including Poland, Spain, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, India, Egypt and Turkey. Five Polish teams made it to the final round.
On the Marsyard, a specially prepared track resembling the surface of the Red Planet, built on the AGH campus, engineering students from different continents faced tasks that in the future may be carried out by robots exploring Mars and the Moon.
The tasks were inspired by real challenges faced every day by specialists from space agencies. The robots had to autonomously explore terrain, collect and secure samples for astrobiological analysis, carry out precise maintenance work, and even cooperate with drones in searching for objects in difficult terrain.
According to the organizers, it was a test of both technology and teamwork skills.
– The competition was extremely close, and its level increases year by year. It is a pleasure to observe how we are educating the next generations of engineers – both among those who take part in the competition and among the youngest spectators – commented Łukasz Wilczyński, president of the European Space Foundation, organizer of the ERC.
In the opinion of the organizers, Polish teams formed a strong representation – five of them qualified for the final. The best among them turned out to be the team from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, which took third place.
– The European Rover Challenge is something more than just a competition for our university – it is a true celebration of science and technology. We are glad that we could host young engineers from all over the world in Kraków and watch how their innovative solutions perform in conditions inspired by space missions – emphasized Professor Jerzy Lis, rector of AGH.
The event was accompanied by a popular science conference, this year divided into three thematic blocks: Earth, Moon and Space. The audience could listen to experts from ESA, the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN), ispace Europe, as well as representatives of many technology companies. Topics included the circular economy, the Artemis program missions, space and digital medicine, as well as the missions to the International Space Station planned for 2026.
An exhibition zone and a networking space were also prepared, where companies and startups could establish contacts with business partners or learn how to obtain funding for their projects.
The European Rover Challenge has been held in Kraków since last year. The competition is organized by the European Space Foundation, hosted by the AGH University of Science and Technology. The project is financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Among the partners of the event are the Marshal’s Office of the Małopolska Region and the City of Kraków.
Source: naukawpolsce.pl
