Wall-Climbing Robot Challenge
Can you defeat gravity? The inaugural IEEE RAS UJ wall-climbing robot competition, open to university students, school students, and hobbyists. July 2–4, 2026 in Amman.
WCRC 2026 isn't built as a one-day competition. It's a three-day experience that begins with ideas on stage, peaks with robots on the wall, and closes with the people who built it all standing in the spotlight.
The journey opens with a conference dedicated to Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and real-world innovation: a stage where students, engineers, and creators meet the future they're building.
Three days. One challenge. One journey.
WCRC 2026: where ideas are built, robots climb, and champions rise.
Build. Climb. Win.
Stay connected for conference details, competition updates, and the full WCRC 2026 experience.
The Wall-Climbing Robot Challenge (WCRC) is the first-of-its-kind competition organized by IEEE RAS at the University of Jordan.
Teams of up to 4 members design and build a single robot that climbs a 240 cm vertical galvanized steel wall, racing against the clock and gravity itself. Open to university students, school students, and hobbyists alike. Robots are evaluated on climb speed, mechanical stability, and successful completion of the course. This isn't just about sticking to a surface; it's a true test of engineering precision, power-to-weight optimization, and creative mechanical design.
240 cm tall × 120 cm wide. 2.0 mm galvanized steel (magnetic). Finish line at 200 cm. Teams must account for magnetic saturation.
Max weight: 5.0 kg. Starting size: 30×30×30 cm. Max voltage: 24V peak. Post-launch expansion allowed on the wall face only.
Up to 4 members per team. One designated Team Leader. One robot per team, no swapping between waves. Open to all skill levels.
Two waves (best of 2 runs). 90s setup, 150s max run time. Hybrid control: autonomous or RC. Fastest single run wins. Ties broken by distance, weight, then run order.
Drag to orbit. The wall is rendered at exact 1:1 scale: 240 cm tall, 120 cm wide, 2 mm galvanized steel. Foul edges, start zone, and the 200 cm finish line are all to spec. Try the climb animation to see what a 30 × 30 cm robot looks like against the wall.
Total Pool: 1000 JOD
+ Bonus Prizes by Fikr AI Hub
🎁 Monthly subscriptions for all winning team members
Form a team of up to 4 members and register by June 15, 2026. Entry fee: 15 JOD (IEEE members) or 20 JOD (standard).
Team Fee (not per person): The registration fee is per team, not per individual participant.
Engineer your wall-climbing robot. Magnets, vacuum fans, and air movers are all allowed, but no glue, suction cups, or chemical adhesives. Optimize for weight, torque, and speed within 5 kg and 30×30×30 cm.
Phase 1: Submit prototype photos or CAD by June 18 for preliminary review. Phase 2: Mandatory on-site inspection on July 2 (weight, dimensions, battery safety, and E-Stop all verified) before you can compete. Phase 1 approval does not guarantee passing the on-site inspection.
July 2–4 at Fikr AI Hub. Two waves with a 2-hour maintenance break between them. Your best single run time out of 2 determines your rank. All runs verified by VAR video review.
WCRC 2026 is built with our partners. Three days, one wall, real engineering: sponsors get visibility across the conference stage, the competition livestream, and every touchpoint of the journey.
Decor and advertising production. Proud Gold sponsor of WCRC 2026.
Reserved for partnership
Logo on the wall · livestream mention · jersey patch
Become a sponsor
IEEE Robotics & Automation Society, Jordan Chapter. Bronze sponsor of WCRC 2026.
Reserved for partnership
Become a sponsor
Reach an engaged audience of robotics students, engineers, and innovators across Jordan. Tier benefits, audience reach, and the full deck, one message away.
WCRC is open to everyone: university students, school students, and hobbyists. Teams can have up to 4 members and must designate one Team Leader as the sole point of contact with officials. Each team competes with exactly one robot.
The wall is 2.0 mm galvanized steel, so magnetic adhesion is the primary approach, but vacuum pumps and fans (air movers) are also permitted. What's banned: glue, sticky tape, water, gels, suction cups, chemical adhesives, or anything that leaves residue. No edge grabbing either: climbing must stay on the face of the wall.
Entry fee is 15 JOD if at least one team member holds an active IEEE
membership, or 20 JOD for teams with no IEEE members. Payment
accepted via CliQ (alias: IEEERAS) or in cash to the chapter Treasurer. After paying via CliQ, send a screenshot of your payment on WhatsApp to +962 79 241 6275.
Team Fee (not per person): The registration fee is per team, not per individual participant.
Either! The control method is Hybrid: autonomous or RC, your choice. The fastest robot wins regardless of control type. For RC robots, activation is a single start command after the referee's whistle, then continuous remote control is allowed. Just note: all controllers must stay powered off in the pit area and audience seating. You can only turn on your controller when instructed by the referee in the Start Zone.
Registration deadline: June 15, 2026. Preliminary review (submit photos/CAD): June 18. Competition days: July 2–4 at Fikr AI Hub & Study House, Amman. On-site technical inspection takes place on July 2 before Wave 1 begins.
Falls below 30 cm (the Start Zone) count as a false start: you get one restart per run. Falls above 30 cm are an immediate DNF. For stalls: if your robot fails to make at least 5 cm of upward progress within any 30 consecutive seconds, it's declared DNF. Lateral movement and vibrations don't count as progress.
No glue, sticky tape, gels, suction cups, or any chemical adhesion. No compressed-gas tanks (CO₂/HPA), projectiles, drones, or destructive tools (spikes, drills, sharp grippers). Vacuum pumps and fans are allowed, but any fan used for downforce must be fixed within 5° of perpendicular to the wall: gimballed or vectoring fans are banned. Edge grabbing is banned: climbing must stay on the face of the wall.
Yes, official weigh-in happens immediately before each run, and referees may spot-check after a run. If post-run weight is more than 100 g below the pre-run weight, the run is voided. Any discrete solid part visibly detaching during the climb is an immediate DNF, regardless of size. Passive rubber dust or tread marks are exempt.
Download the official WCRC 2026 Rulebook for complete competition rules, robot specifications, scoring methodology, and tie-breaker procedures.
WCRC 2026 unfolds across two distinct stages: a conference space where ideas meet, and the competition arena where robots prove themselves on the wall.
The Day 01 conference is hosted at the Amman Chamber of Industry in Jabal Amman, a central venue for the robotics, AI, and innovation program. Full schedule announced soon.
A space dedicated to innovation and engineering. Fikr AI Hub provides the perfect environment for high-stakes robotics competitions, with ample space for teams to prep and a live audience to cheer.
Day 03 · Closing & Awards takes place at the Amman Chamber of Industry in Jabal Amman, alongside the conference.
WCRC 2026 (Wall-Climbing Robot Challenge) is organized by IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE RAS), University of Jordan Chapter.
