🌎 Americas Open Championship 2026
- Categories: All WRO competition categories
- Age groups: All age groups
- Spots: 1 per age group / category
Blue Ridge Boost is an official host of a World Robot Olympiad-USEL Regional Open Qualifier for the 2026 season. Teams compete right here in Charlottesville, Virginia, for a chance to represent the USA at international Open Championships.
Qualify for International Open Championships 2026
🌍 Non-Americas Open Championships 2026
- Regions: Europe, Asia, Middle East and North Africa
- Categories: All categories and age groups.
- Spots: Minimum 1.
Event Details
Event: WRO-USEL Regional Open Qualifier
Season: 2026 WRO USA
Location: Grounds of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Dates: September 5-6, 2026
Organized by: Blue Ridge Boost
Sanctioned by: USEL Youth Robotics, WRO National Organizer in USA
Event Schedule
📅 Competition Dates: September 5-6, 2026
Optional early check-in available Friday, September 4, 2026
Friday, September 4, 2026 (Optional)
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Early Team Check-In (Optional) Pick up badges, find your pit table or booth, and drop off equipment. Note: Practice on official fields is not permitted on Friday evening. |
Saturday, September 5, 2026 - Competition Day 1
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:30 AM | Team Check-In Opens All teams receive badges. Future Innovators teams may begin setting up project booths. |
| 9:30 AM | Coaches & Team Captains Meeting Mandatory meeting to review rules, schedule, and procedures. |
| 10:00 AM | Opening Ceremony Welcome remarks and event kickoff. |
| 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM | Practice & Calibration Teams test robots on official competition fields. Future Innovators test booth displays. |
| 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM | Lunch Break Pits closed and secured. |
| 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Additional Practice Time Final adjustments before inspection. |
| 3:00 PM | Robot Inspection All RoboMission, RoboSports, and Future Engineers robots must pass inspection and enter quarantine (Parc Fermé). |
| 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Official Round 1 • RoboMission & Future Engineers: Round 1 • RoboSports: Match Block 1 • Future Innovators: Judging Session 1 |
| 5:30 PM | Day 1 Concludes Scores posted. Venue closes for the evening. |
Sunday, September 6, 2026 - Competition Day 2
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Venue Opens Teams arrive and settle into pits/booths. |
| 8:30 AM | Surprise Rule Announced RoboMission surprise modifications and Future Engineers obstacle randomization revealed. |
| 8:45 AM - 10:45 AM | Programming & Practice Time Teams have 2 hours to adjust robots and code. Coaches are not permitted in pit areas during this time. |
| 10:45 AM | Robot Inspection Robots are reinspected and returned to quarantine. |
| 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM | Official Round 2 • RoboMission & Future Engineers: Round 2 • RoboSports: Match Block 2 • Future Innovators: Judging Session 2 |
| 12:45 PM - 1:30 PM | Lunch Break Pits closed and secured. |
| 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM | Maintenance Window Brief window for battery changes or final code adjustments. |
| 2:00 PM | Final Quarantine Robots enter Parc Fermé for the final time. |
| 2:15 PM - 3:45 PM | Official Round 3 & Finals • RoboMission & Future Engineers: Round 3 • RoboSports: Match Block 3 / Finals • Future Innovators: Judging Session 3 |
| 3:45 PM | Competition Ends Teams may begin packing up pit areas and booths. |
| 4:30 PM | Awards & Closing Ceremony Medals, trophies, and announcement of teams advancing to International Championships. |
| 5:30 PM | Event Concludes Teams depart with equipment. |
📌 Important Notes:
• Coaches must attend the mandatory meeting on Saturday at 9:30 AM
• Coaches are not permitted in pit areas during Sunday's 2-hour programming session (8:45-10:45 AM)
• All times are subject to minor adjustments based on competition flow
Competition Categories
🤖 RoboMission
Program autonomous robots to complete missions on a themed playing field. Available at Elementary, Junior, and Senior levels.
⚽ RoboSports
Build robots that compete head-to-head in sports-themed challenges. Teamwork, strategy, and engineering combined.
💡 Future Innovators
Design a robotics-based solution to a real-world problem. Combine creativity, research, and engineering in an open-ended project.
🏎️ Future Engineers
Build a self-driving vehicle that navigates a track autonomously. A challenging category focused on sensors, AI, and precision control.
WRO 2026 Season Resources
🎯 Theme: Robots Meet Culture
In 2026, teams will explore how robots can help shape, protect, and grow art and culture in today's world. From ancient cave paintings to modern digital art, robots are becoming creative partners and protectors of our cultural history.
📖 Official Game Manuals & Rules
Access the official WRO 2026 game rules, field descriptions, building instructions, and Q&A for all competition categories.
🛒 Competition Mats & Models
Purchase official WRO game mats, LEGO models, challenge kits, and competition equipment from USEL Youth Robotics.
💡 Note: Teams must provide their own robots. All robot systems are now allowed in all WRO categories for 2026! Each category has specific size and weight requirements detailed in the official game rules.
Team Eligibility
To participate, teams must:
- Register directly through Blue Ridge Boost for this event (no separate pass required).
- Meet WRO age and category eligibility requirements
- Teams of 2–3 members plus a coach.
- A background check is required for all coaches prior to competition. Complete your background check here. Please note: Teams cannot compete unless their coach has successfully completed the background check process.
Why Compete at Blue Ridge Boost?
🎯 Direct Path to Championships
Top teams qualify for the Americas Open Championship and international events in Europe, Asia, and MENA regions.
👥 Community-Centered
A welcoming, well-organized competition run by experienced STEM educators who care about every team's experience.
📍 Local & Accessible
Compete right here in Charlottesville, VA — no long-distance travel required for teams in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Registration
To register a team, please add the desired category to cart and complete the purchase.