Robot Club

Spark your skills and bolt into action
3, 2, 1 - ACTIVATE

Every year, department members - whether student, academic or staff - have the chance to battle it out for Robot Club supremacy.

Sign-ups open for the 2025/26 CEB Robot Club tournament

After two wildly successful years of sparks, strategy and spectacular engineering, CEB’s much-loved Robot Club is back for its third round.

And sign-ups are now open.

This year’s competition will build on the momentum of previous tournaments with a more structured start, designed to bring all participants onto a level playing field. Whether you are a complete beginner or a seasoned builder, the club offers a chance to learn practical engineering skills – from CAD and CNC machining to teamwork and creative problem-solving – in a relaxed, social setting.

New for 2025/26, participants will be able to choose from a range of template robot designs, helping those with limited time or experience to get up and running more quickly. Veteran builders will also be paired with beginner teams, reinforcing the club’s spirit of collaboration and mentorship, while keeping the focus on fun rather than formality.

The 2026 tournament will take place in mid-May, moving out of exam season to allow more time for teams to test, tinker and perfect their creations.

Feedback from last year’s competition is also shaping plans for the months ahead, from potential arena upgrades and improved organisation to the possible return of a much-debated house robot.

Whether you are in it to win, to learn or simply to blow off some steam with sparks and gears, the CEB Robot Club promises another year of creativity, camaraderie and controlled chaos.

Sign-ups are now open – join the build, and be part of the battle.

*Please note that only CEB-registered staff and students are eligible to compete in the Robot Club.

Welcome to the Combat Robot Club – where creativity meets controlled chaos.

The inaugural event, held in June 2024, saw an enthusiastic turnout from across the department - and the second year was even bigger!

Run by and for students and staff, the club brings together aspiring engineers and fearless tinkerers to Collaborate, Engineer and Battle (CEB) their own robots in a high-energy test of design, dexterity and destruction.

Each year, teams design and build their own machines in the department’s Makerspace, before putting them to the test in a fully enclosed, safety-conscious arena designed for one thing – robot carnage. The result is an electrifying mix of fierce competition, imaginative engineering and just enough silliness (sometimes involving googly eyes).

The club is open to everyone, whether you're a seasoned builder or just starting out. Two leagues – Veterans and Beginners – offer tailored challenges for all experience levels. Newcomers can learn the ropes in a low-pressure environment, while returners battle it out with upgraded bots and battle-hardened strategies.

But the Combat Robot Club isn’t just about winning – it’s about learning, collaborating and having fun. Whether you’re here for the CAD, the code or the chaos, you’ll find a welcoming community, plenty of support and the chance to build something truly unique.

Collaborate, Engineer, Battle!

Be prepared to give a minimum of 100 hours, approximately two hours per week, to this project.

There is a time commitment involved, but it should be approximately two hours per week of fun, learning how to create your own robot, by designing and building parts and experimenting with it.

And it will culminate in the Robot Club competition at the end of the academic year, which will see the two leagues fight it out for supremacy.

Winners of the Beginners League will have a chance to take on a Veteran, while the winner of the Veterans League will win a big prize.