DSTA-DSO-VJC Robotics Challenge 2026

Important dates: 

Registration Deadline: 8 July 2026 (Wednesday)

Deadline for submission of videos for preliminary rounds:  8 July 2026 (Wednesday)

Announcement of results of preliminary rounds: 15 July 2026 (Wednesday)

The top 3 teams of each of the following categories will proceed to the grand final which will be held in-person in VJC.

• • Light Robot (Primary Schools)

  • Light Robot (Secondary Schools)

  • Heavy Robot (Primary Schools)

  • Heavy Robot (Secondary Schools)

  • DIY Robot (Primary Schools)

  • DIY Robot (Secondary Schools)

Date of grand final for top 6 teams of each category: 24 July 2026 (Friday)

Invitation to participate in DSTA-DSO-VJC Robotics Challenge 2026

• 1. The VJC Science & Technology Centre is organizing the 2026 DSTA-DSO-VJC Robotics Challenge on 24 July 2026 (Friday), as part of the centre’s effort to inspire and create greater interest in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math during the newly revised STEM Festival.  The purpose of the Challenge is to provide students with opportunities to exercise their creativity and problem-solving skills in the field of robotics, so that they may develop in these important areas.

  2. The website for this year’s Challenge is at: https://sites.google.com/vjc.edu.sg/ezrc2026/

  3. We are pleased to extend our invitation to your school to participate in this competition. The competition this year promises to be more challenging and varied than previous years. Please see Annex B for the details. 

  4. Schools may register for the Challenge at the above Challenge website. Online registration must be done by 8 July 2026 (Wednesday). All teams will be notified by email upon the receipt of their applications.

  5. This year features a major revamp of the categories in the DSTA-DSO-VJC Robotics Challenge, which have remained unchanged for many years. The Autonomous Challenge category from previous years has been removed, and, a new DIY Robot Category has been added, allowing teams to use robots that are built from basic parts which are affordable, with the total cost per robot being around $30. See Annex D for more details.

  6. Prizes and medals will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions for each of the four categories of the Challenge, namely 

     • Heavy Robots category (Primary School), 

     • Heavy Robots category (Secondary School), 

     • Light Robots category (Primary School),

     • Light Robots category (Secondary School),

     • DIY Robots category (Primary School) (new) and

     • DIY Robots category (Secondary School) (new).

  7. The Additional Awards will be awarded separately for primary and secondary schools. These awards have also been revamped to include a new Technical Proficiency award.

     • The Most Innovative Design award (available for all robot categories)

     • The Technical Proficiency award (available for only the DIY robot category)

     • The Best Mechanical Construction award  (available for only the DIY robot category)

  8. Annex A (Rules and Regulations), Annex B (Challenge description), Annex C (Challenge administration) and Annex D (DIY Robot category Getting Started guide) are attached.

  9. For enquiries, please email Mr. Kwek Eng Yeow (organiser) at  kwek.engyeow@vjc.edu.sg.

  10. We look forward to your support and an enjoyable learning experience for your students. We hope that the students will participate in the spirit of fun and learning.

Useful links:

Annex A: Rules & Regulations

Annex B: Challenge Description

Annex C: Challenge Schedule & Administration

Annex D: DIY robot category Getting Started guide (new)

Annex E: Additional Awards

Gallery of past DSO-DSTA-VJC Robotics Challenges: