Opportunity brief
About the Event
MazeRunner is an autonomous robotics competition designed to test edge computing, sensor integration, real-time decision-making, and pathfinding algorithms. Inspired by planetary rover navigation and hazardous search-and-rescue operations, the event challenges robots to explore an unknown maze and navigate from start to finish in the shortest possible time without human intervention. Organized under Amalthea, the annual technical summit of IIT Gandhinagar, MazeRunner challenges participants to build self-contained micromouse/autonomous robots capable of accurate wall sensing, efficient maze mapping, and high-speed motion control.
Date: 31/10/2026
Time: To be announced soon
Event Format & Structure
Phase 1: Technical Verification & Dry Run
- Robots will undergo dimensional inspection and hardware compliance checks, including weight, size, power source, and autonomous control verification.
- A short calibration test will be conducted on a sample grid segment to verify sensor response under ambient lighting conditions.
Phase 2: Maze Exploration & Mapping Run
- The robot will enter an unknown maze grid.
- It must autonomously explore the maze, detect dead ends, map the grid, and determine the optimal path.
- Participants may implement algorithms such as Flood Fill, Dijkstra's Algorithm, or A* for efficient pathfinding.
Phase 3: High-Speed Final Sprint
- After mapping the maze, teams will execute timed runs from the Start tile to the Destination cell.
- The fastest error-free run recorded within the allocated trials will determine the team's overall rank.
Eligibility & Team Rules
- Eligibility: Open to undergraduate, postgraduate, and diploma students from technical institutions.
- Team Size: 2–4 members per team.
- Cross-Departmental Participation: Permitted.
- Inter-College Participation: Permitted.
Bot Specifications
- The robot must be fully autonomous, with no wireless remote control, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or manual signaling once placed in the maze.
- The robot must comply with the specified dimensional constraints, such as a maximum footprint of 20 cm × 20 cm.
- The robot must operate exclusively on its onboard battery power.
- All sensing, computation, navigation, and motion control must be performed onboard.
Rules & Guidelines
- Zero External Communication: Remote programming or transmission of maze data to the robot after the maze is revealed is strictly prohibited.
- Onboard Configuration: Algorithm modes or settings may be changed using mechanical onboard switches between runs.
Touch Penalties: Limited manual touches or restarts are permitted if the robot gets stuck. Each touch incurs a time penalty added t
- o the final run time.
- Environmental Adaptability: Robots must be designed to handle variations in ambient lighting, floor friction, and humidity.
- Time Window: Each team will receive a designated arena access window, approximately 6–8 minutes, to attempt up to 3 official trials.
- Fair Play: Line breaches, wall touches, and other rule violations will be judged by the officials.
- Final Authority: Referee timing and official judges' decisions will be final and binding.
Evaluation & Scoring Criteria
- Run Time: Time taken by the robot to travel from the Start tile to the Finish cell during its fastest successful trial.
- Penalties: Additional time added for manual touches, wall collisions, or resets, as applicable under the rules.
- Mapping Accuracy: Bonus consideration for correctly mapping the maze and identifying the absolute shortest physical path.
- Computational Efficiency: Evaluation of the robot's ability to explore, process sensor inputs, make navigation decisions, and execute the optimal route efficiently.
- Final Score: Calculated using the event's official scoring formula, incorporating run time, applicable penalties, and mapping-related bonuses.
Rewards & Perks
- Cash Prizes & Trophies: Awarded to the top 3 teams.
- Certificates of Merit: Awarded to the winning teams.
- Certificates of Participation: Awarded to all valid competing teams.