The countdown has begun for the 8th Pancyprian Robotics Competition, Robotex Cyprus, and the 2nd Minoan RobotSports Competition (MRC), both set to take place simultaneously at the University of Cyprus Sports Centre on Saturday and Sunday, June 28–29, 2025. The events are expected to attract over 620 participants, marking another record-breaking year.

According to an official announcement by the organizer, the Cyprus Computer Society (CCS), the event will be open to the public and will offer more than just robotics battles. Attendees can also enjoy robotics exhibitions, interactive tech booths, music and dance performances, and much more.

As stated in the announcement, the winning teams of the Robotex challenges will qualify to represent Cyprus at Robotex International in Estonia, where Cypriot participants have historically dominated the awards.

Similarly, the top MRC teams will advance to the Global Olympiad of Minoan RobotSports Competition, held in Crete.

This year’s Robotex Cyprus will once again feature the popular SUMO robotic battles and Line Following speed races, enhanced with four sports-style challenges from MRC: archery, shot put, robotic rally, and a drone obstacle course. Skilled young drone pilots will navigate educational drones through a series of obstacles.

Following last year’s high level of participation, this year’s entries are expected to surpass all expectations.

This year introduces two new robotic challenges:

• Robot Bowling: Robots will attempt to roll a ball and knock down pins, earning points for accuracy and strategy.

• Maze Line Following: A variation of the well-known Maze Solving challenge, this event requires robots to interpret black lines marking a maze, avoid dead ends, and find the correct exit path in the shortest possible time.

As part of its mission to promote greater female participation in STEM, CCS continues the Girls Fire Fighting Challenge. Girls and women are encouraged to form teams and compete for a spot in Robotex International.

Meanwhile, this year’s educational robotics exhibition for primary school students is themed “Robots and the World of Water.” In light of Cyprus’s current drought conditions, the topic is particularly relevant. Students will use platforms such as Engino, Lego, and Makeblock to design and present innovative robotic solutions to address water scarcity.

For secondary and technical education students and university-level participants, the Open Category invites teams to use any combination of robotic platforms to develop creative solutions to real-world problems.

This year’s event will also highlight the Kypruino UNO+, an enhanced and more powerful version of the popular Arduino UNO R3. Designed and developed in Cyprus by robo.com.cy, the Kypruino was first introduced at last year’s event and is already making waves in international networks. Ongoing discussions with foreign organizations are underway for its distribution.

This advanced board underscores Cyprus’s role in global tech innovation, combining internationally recognized open-source hardware with local engineering expertise. The Kypruino aims to inspire the next generation of engineers and makers in Cyprus and beyond.

Robotex MRC Cyprus 2025 is open to students of all educational levels, university students, and adults, including educators, professionals, scientists, and parents. The entry fee per team is €50.