Fourteen different robots competed in Germany last week. euRathlon provided real-world challenges to outdoor robots in demanding but mimicked disaster-response scenarios.

The focus was on land based vehicles. Next year the competition will address sea based vehicles.

The teams had to survive, for example, from search and rescue in a smoke-filled underground structure, and handling of hazardous material with a robot manipulator. There were altogether five different scenarios.

“Similar type of competitions has earlier been held under different name. These are excellent opportunities for testing the robots in a real environment and identifying new research problems. They also help the industry in their product development”, comments professor Juha Röning, a member of the team of judges.

euRathlon attracted media attention especially in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, but also in countries like Brazil.

The competition was funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

See picture galleries (in German by Deutche Welle):

http://www.dw.de/mit-robotern-gegen-tunnelbr%C3%A4nde/g-17118750

http://www.dw.de/katastrophenschutz-roboter-bei-der-probe/g-17109633