From February 18, 2027 to February 23, 2027
RoboBoat 2027 | 20th annual autonomous boat contest returns to Sarasota in February
RoboNation's RoboBoat, in which student teams race autonomous surface vessels through maritime tasks, returns to Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida, on February 18–23, 2027. Team registration is open until December 1, 2026.
QUICK FACTS
| Date | Feb 18–23, 2027 |
| Location | Sarasota, Florida, USA |
| Venue | Nathan Benderson Park — 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota, FL 34235, USA |
| Organizer | RoboNation (formerly AUVSI Foundation) |
| Event type | Competition (annual student autonomous surface vessel competition) |
| Official website | https://roboboat.org/programs/2027/ |
| Registration | Team registration open Oct 1 – Dec 1, 2026 at https://robonation.smapply.org/prog/2027_roboboat; fee $1,500 |
| Admission | Teams: high-school and college teams with at least three members, 75%+ full-time students. Spectator terms for 2027 not yet published (2026 was open to the public, with a Media Day). |
| Scale | 2026 edition (Feb 19–24, 2026): 37 teams from 10 countries |
| Key deadlines | Kickoff TeamTime Oct 22, 2026; 50% refund cancellation by Nov 20, 2026; registration closes Dec 1, 2026; submissions due Jan 13, 2027 |
EVENT OVERVIEW
RoboNation will hold RoboBoat 2027 on February 18–23, 2027 at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida, the same venue as the 2026 competition. The organizer bills the event as the 20th annual RoboBoat. Team registration opened on October 1, 2026 and closes on December 1, 2026, with a $1,500 fee and a 50% refund for cancellations before November 20, 2026. Technical submissions are due January 13, 2027. RoboNation is running three online TeamTime sessions before the event: a kickoff open to all on October 22, 2026, a scoring overview on December 10, 2026 and a competition overview on January 14, 2027. The team handbook, schedule, venue map and event hotel are listed as coming soon, and RoboNation has not yet described the 2027 tasks.
In RoboBoat, high-school and university teams design, build and test autonomous surface vessels that navigate a buoy course and complete tasks modelled on coastal surveillance, port security and oceanographic operations. Teams need at least three members, and 75% or more must be full-time students. The 2026 competition, the 19th annual edition, ran February 19–24, 2026 and drew 37 teams from 10 countries, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Norway and Türkiye. Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember of Indonesia won, ahead of Norway's Navier USN and Canada's Queen's University. RoboNation, the nonprofit formerly known as the AUVSI Foundation, presents the event as workforce preparation for maritime autonomy, and runs it alongside RoboSub and RobotX.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
20th annual RoboBoat, Feb 18–23, 2027 at Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota
Student-built autonomous surface vessels complete tasks modelled on coastal surveillance, port security and oceanographic operations
Team registration open until Dec 1, 2026 ($1,500 fee); technical submissions due Jan 13, 2027
2026 field: 37 teams from 10 countries, won by Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (Indonesia)
Part of RoboNation's maritime autonomy portfolio alongside RoboSub and RobotX
RECOMMENDED ATTENDEES
Maritime autonomy and uncrewed surface vessel developers, marine sensor, lidar and navigation suppliers, naval and coast guard research program managers, defense and port-security technology firms recruiting engineers, university marine robotics labs, ocean-technology investors, and media covering autonomous systems. Spectator and media access for 2027 has not been published; in 2026 the competition was open to the public and included a Media Day.
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