Five student teams from Poland have advanced to the finals of the European Rover Challenge (ERC), an international Mars rover competition. The 11th edition of the event will take place from August 29 to 31 on the campus of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków.
The competition is organized by the European Space Foundation, with AGH University serving as co-organizer.
The ERC is a three-day, free and open-to-the-public event that brings together participants and experts from across the globe. It features an interdisciplinary conference with leading specialists from international space organizations, offering a unique platform that blends science, technology, and education in a hands-on context.
This year’s edition will introduce a new astrobiology task, where teams will be challenged to identify locations with potential signs of past life or the presence of essential life-forming chemical compounds.
A total of 25 rovers have qualified for the on-site competition, selected from 102 registered teams worldwide. Additional teams will participate remotely in the virtual competition format.
The ERC will host young engineers and researchers from countries including Poland, Spain, Denmark, Germany, the UK, Italy, India, Egypt, and Turkey. Poland will be represented by five teams from leading technical universities.
Finalists will present autonomous Mars rover designs capable of performing complex tasks inspired by real planetary missions. The challenges will take place on the Marsyard, a nearly 900-square-meter testing ground replicating the geological features of Mars’ Valles Marineris canyon.
A full list of finalists and the detailed event schedule are available on the official ERC website.
Ph: Katarzyna Sadowy, KSAF AGH
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