The 2025 IEEE Telepresence Competition

About the Competition

The second annual Telepresence Competition will be held on 6 October 2025 in Perth, Australia. The challenge will take place as part of the Robopalooza 2025 event at the Australia Automation and Robotics Precinct (AARP), a world-leading collaborative innovation hub and Australia’s largest test and development site supporting the advancement of automation, robotics, remote operations and zero emissions technologies.

The competition will challenge each team to move the rover remotely through an obstacle course as quickly as possible. Teams must navigate around each waypoint without hitting it. The team with the best time, less any penalties assessed for missing or hitting waypoints, will win a cash prize of US$5000 split equally among the team members.

We are pleased to again use the Helelani Planetary Rover, courtesy of the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES), an aerospace research and education program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s College of Natural and Health Sciences.

Video recordings of telepresence demonstrations will be shown during the Conference.

Team WARO32, supported by AROSE and Fugro SpAARC, claimed victory in the IEEE Telepresence Competition by operating the rover from Perth, Australia — 14,800 kilometers away.

In last year’s challenge, teams were tasked with remotely operating the PISCES Helelani Robotic Rover through a rugged obstacle course in the Mojave Desert, then driving it up the steep slope of Peterman Hill. At the summit, the rover had to capture a flag and bring it back down to the finish line. The team with the fastest time took the win. This is their story — told by the IEEE Telepresence Competition 2024 champions.

Download the competition flyer (PDF, 5 MB)

Important Dates

• 31 August 2025 – Submission deadline
• 12 September 2025 – Finalists announcement

Competition Rules

• The competition will test the ability to remotely control robotic vehicles, under conditions of delayed signals, with perception provided by on-board video and a separate video stream of the course.
• Each team will have a 30-minute window to traverse the course through a series of waypoints and back.
• The exact course details will be provided on the day of the competition.
• The expected length of the course will not exceed 50m in a direct line, and it will have obstacles to be avoided, with soft soil and rocks of various sizes on the steep sloped terrain.
• Full Competition Rules (PDF, 101 KB)
• Telepresence Competition Release Form (PDF, 123 KB)

Applying to Compete

Teams that would like to compete should send a brief PDF proposal to [email protected] with the following information:

• Affiliation
• Team member listing
• Description of the team capabilities: What have you teleoperated in the past, and what level of expertise does the team have?
• Feel free to include any images supporting your proposal.

Up to eight finalist teams will compete in the event. The finalists will be selected based on their submitted proposals.

Logistics

Date: 6 October 2025

Location: Australia Automation and Robotics Precinct (AARP)

Address: Pederick Rd, Neerabup WA 6031, Australia

Sponsors

The IEEE Telepresence Competition is sponsored by the IEEE Future Directions Telepresence Initiative using the PISCES Helelani rover, and additional financial and logistical support from Robopalooza 2025, the Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct, Edith Cowan University, and a number of other organizations.