IRO 2026 - IROC

28th International Robot Olympiad 2026
– Vienna, Austria

Greetings,

This is the Secretariat of the International Robot Olympiad (IRO).

We are pleased to announce the 2026 Annual Schedule.

Detailed information and specific guidelines will be provided through separate announcements in due course.
Please note that the schedule below is subject to change depending on future discussions and circumstances.

Information on the August IRO

The International Robot Olympiad will continue to operate the existing Winter IRO and, in addition, will introduce a new Summer IRO as part of the expansion of its competition system.

The Winter IRO will be held as scheduled in January 2027, and the Summer Competition is not intended to replace the existing event but will be organized as an additional competition.

This new operational structure has been designed in consideration of differences in academic calendars, such as summer and winter vacations, in order to enable more countries and students to participate on the international stage.

– There is no difference in status or difficulty level between the Summer and Winter events.

– PRE-IRO is described as “not a replacement, but an additional international program”

– Categories are distinguished by category composition, not by prestige or level.

– All categories will be operated either in Summer (PRE-IRO), in Winter (IRO), or jointly across both seasons depending on their format and structure.

Accordingly, we are pleased to announce that the Summer International Robot Olympiad will be held in August 2026.

IRO 2026 Annual Schedule

1. 2026, PRE-IRO Austria
– Name:2026, PRE-IRO Austria
– Date:August 17 (Mon) – August 20 (Thu), 2026 (4 days)
– Venue:Graz, Austria
– Host:International Robot Olympiad Committee (IROC)
– Organizer:Korea Institute of Robot Olympiad Committee (K-IROC), Korea Robot Sports Association (KRSA)

2. 2026/27, IRO Austria
– Name:2026/27 IRO Austria
– Date:January 2027 (5 days)
– Venue:Vienna, Austria
– Host:International Robot Olympiad Committee (IROC)
– Organizer:Korea Institute of Robot Olympiad Committee (K-IROC), Korea Robot Sports Association (KRSA)

The Main Theme for the 2026 International Robot Olympiad

Theme
Cultural Heritage Service Robots:
Robots that help people experience, understand, and protect cultural heritage.

Theme Concept
Cultural Heritage Service Robot refers to robots supporting human interaction, cultural understanding, and social responsibility.

This main theme has been established in consideration of the rich cultural heritage and historical background of Europe, including Austria. It has been planned to explore the roles that robotics and artificial intelligence technologies can play in enhancing human interaction, fostering cultural understanding, and contributing to the realization of social responsibility.

Through this theme, participating students are encouraged to develop their projects in the following directions:

Service robots that support the preservation, interpretation, and experience of cultural heritage
Robotic systems that interact with people and communicate cultural value
Robots and AI applications that reflect social responsibility, including public interest, accessibility, and inclusiveness
Other robots related to Cultural Heritage Service

The main theme aims to assess not only technical excellence but also the degree of understanding of and contribution to people, society, and culture.