Teams from 12 countries gear up for European Rover Challenge in Poland

The European Rover Challenge (ERC), one of the world's premier planetary robotics competitions, is set to host 25 teams from twelve countries, including three Polish contenders, in Kielce, Poland, this September. 

Europejskie zawody łazików marsjańskich 2016

Darek Delmanowicz/PAP

The competition saw a total of 54 international teams vie for a spot in the event, the Nauka w Polsce website reported on Tuesday. 

Polish teams have excelled in rover challenges over the years. Maciej Myśliwiec of the European Rover Challenge press office said: "We have three teams from Poland among the finalists, including last year's winners, AGH Space Systems. We will host representatives from twelve countries, including Switzerland, India, Germany, Bangladesh, and Egypt. These are the best student robotics teams in the world, which is a great honor for us." 

The #ERC2023 world finals are just around the corner. 🏁 Have you already saved the date? ⏰ You'd better do that now, so you won't miss your chance for a great experience both on-site and live on https://t.co/WPqbvWTC0o. Here's a boarding pass that you might find handy🚀 pic.twitter.com/xua1ezxIAn

— European Rover Challenge (@rover_challenge) July 22, 2023

He added that the ERC isn't just a competition, but also an important public inspiration zone, with various exhibitors including robotics companies, and specialist lectures accompanying the event. 

The competition, held at the Kielce University of Technology, will have two formats: stationary (in-situ), and remote, with competitors from around the globe connecting virtually to a mobile robot. The participants in this remote competition will be announced in August.

Three days of #ERC world finals 📆 are incredibly intense and exhausting for participants. Each year, their hard work and rover designs are put to a complex test. 🏆 This year we'll see 25 teams on the campus of @PolitechnikaSw in Kielce. #ERC2023 #rover #mars #stem #engineering pic.twitter.com/lwmFX4AwYX

— European Rover Challenge (@rover_challenge) July 15, 2023

Guests of ERC 2023 will include NASA technologist and science fiction writer Les Johnson, Alessandro Golkar, a professor at the Technical University of Munich specializing in nano-satellites and satellite constellations, and Maria Antonietta Perino, the director of space exploration economy and international networking at Thales Alenia Space.

The European Rover Challenge operates under the patronage of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Polish Space Agency. The European Space Foundation, a member of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), in partnership with the Świętokrzyska Polytechnic and the City of Kielce, is organizing this year's edition. The project is co-funded by the "Social Responsibility of Science" program from the Ministry of Education and Science.

The European Rover Challenge 2023 finals will take place from September 15 to 17. Attendees will be able to follow the action on-site or via a live stream. https://roverchallenge.eu/en/main-page/

(rt/pm)

Source: Nauka w Polsce