Air
Micro UAV reconnaissance and navigation.
HMDS 2027 · Competition format in development
Multi-Domain Robotics Challenge
Three Robots. One Team. One Mission.
A student robotics challenge for systems that perceive, communicate and act together across air, ground and water.
Maximum 8 students
Teleoperation to full autonomy
International participation
Competition concept
How the challenge works
Teams combine distinct robotic systems to complete one shared mission.
Core principle
The best integrated system wins.
Mission completion, correct information transfer and demonstrated autonomy are rewarded above raw speed.
Ground
UGV checkpoint and obstacle navigation.
Water
USV gate and buoy navigation.
Four progressive categories
Competition categories
Teams may enter a single-domain challenge or progress to cooperative missions.
Mission completion, reliable handover and autonomy matter more than raw speed.
Start with one domain
Choose your entry challenge
Enter with a UAV, UGV or USV. Each platform completes an independent navigation course.
You do not need three robots to begin.Then connect two systems
Air + Ground
Category 2 · Air + Ground Challenge
UAV scouts. UGV acts.
The UAV identifies the mission data and hands it to the UGV for the ground route.
UAVHandoverUGV
Full diagram
Air + Water
Category 3 · Air + Water Challenge
UAV scouts. USV acts.
The UAV identifies the mission data and hands it to the USV for the aquatic route.
UAVHandoverUSV
Full diagram
Complete both cooperative routes
Grand Final
One continuous multi-domain mission
The UAV, UGV and USV preserve and use shared mission information across air, ground and water.
Integration matters more than raw speed.
Vehicle requirements
Platform start envelopes
Dimensions are evaluated in the competition-ready starting configuration, including the components required for operation.
Micro aerial platform
- Under 100 g
- Maximum 150 mm motor-to-motor diagonal
- Propeller protection required
Ground platform
- 300 × 300 × 300 mm maximum at start
- Battery and antennas included
- Deployable designs permitted after Start
Aquatic platform
- 200 × 200 × 200 mm maximum at start
- Battery and antennas included
- Deployable designs permitted after Start
UGV and USV platforms may deploy only after the Start Signal, and all components must remain attached. Every vehicle must also pass technical inspection, including power isolation, failsafe and secure energy storage.
Registration
Student competition entry
Up to 8 students
Commercial components allowed
Platforms must be team-modified
€150 early bird · €200 regular
There is no separate competition fee. Student competitors register for the symposium in the Student category; this includes competition eligibility, lunches, the welcome reception and access to all sessions. Team-entry instructions will be published when online registration opens.
View fees and registration
Japan Edition
Indicative competition areas
Exact obstacle sizes, positions and inspection dimensions are defined in the official Edition Annex.
UAV
Compact indoor arena
Gates, controlled navigation and aerial mission perception.
UGV
Approximately 4 m × 4 m
Checkpoints, gate, obstacles and colour-coded navigation elements.
USV
2.53 m × 1.33 m internal pool
Approximately 51 cm deep with gates and four colour-coded buoys.
Course illustrations are explanatory. Final dimensions, obstacle placement, valid routes and sequence procedures are governed by the Japan Edition Annex.
Operating modes
Teleoperation to full autonomy
Teams may compete at different levels of autonomy. Higher demonstrated autonomy increases the scoring multiplier in cooperative categories.
Teleoperation
Vehicle actions are commanded directly by an operator.
× 1.00Partial Autonomy
One or more mission segments execute automatically.
× 1.15Supervised Autonomy
Mission execution is autonomous with limited supervisory intervention.
× 1.30Full Autonomy
No operator input after the Start Signal, including information handover.
× 1.50
Competition scoring
Completion and integration come first
Single-domain challenges evaluate independent platform performance. Cooperative missions additionally reward successful information transfer and demonstrated autonomy.
Single-domain scoring
Elapsed Time + Penalties
Lowest valid score wins.
Cooperative scoring
(Task Points × Autonomy Multiplier) + Time Bonus − Penalties
Highest valid score wins.
L0 Teleoperation ×1.00
L1 Partial ×1.15
L2 Supervised ×1.30
L3 Full autonomy ×1.50
The best integrated system wins.
Mission completion, correct information transfer and demonstrated autonomy matter more than raw speed.
Participation & rules
Engineering participation requirements
Maximum 8 students
Teams may include up to eight student members.
Commercial components allowed
Motors, sensors, flight controllers, ESCs, cameras, computers and commercial subsystems may be used.
No unchanged commercial platforms
Complete commercially available robotic platforms may not compete in their original configuration. Commercial platforms may serve as a development basis only when substantially modified by the team.
Engineering freedom
Sensor selection, computing architecture, perception, communication and control methods remain engineering choices unless specifically restricted by the rules.
€150 early bird · €200 regular per student. There is no separate competition fee. Registration includes lunches, the welcome reception and access to all symposium sessions.
The competition defines
what each system must accomplish,
not a mandatory sensor, software or
control architecture.
Inspection and safety
Every vehicle must pass technical inspection
Power isolation
Vehicles require an accessible method of disconnecting main power.
Failsafe
Each vehicle requires an appropriate safety or abort function.
Energy storage
Batteries and other energy-storage devices must be securely installed.
UAV protection
Propeller protection is mandatory for the micro-UAV challenge.
Competition track
Three-day competition progression
Competition activities are planned during The competition will take place during the HMDS 2027 symposium.
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Day 1
Preliminary Challenges
Technical inspection, trial runs and qualification activities during the opening competition stage.
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Day 2
Cooperative Challenges
Air + Ground and Air + Water missions, including information handover and autonomy verification.
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Day 3
Grand Final
Final tri-domain mission followed by competition awards.
Awards recognize category winners, autonomy, systems integration, engineering design and multidisciplinary teamwork.
Recognition
Competition awards
🏆 UAV Champion
🏆 UGV Champion
🏆 USV Champion
🏆 Air + Ground Champion
🏆 Air + Water Champion
🏆 Grand Final Champion
Autonomy Award
Systems Integration Award
Engineering Design Award
Multidisciplinary Team Award
Official documents
Competition resources
Start with the visual overview, then consult the rulebook for detailed technical requirements.