European Competition Pole

The flagship pole of EPFL Xplore, dedicated to build world-class Rovers & Drones to compete in the European Rover Challenge.

EPFL Xplore at the European Rover Challenge

Our Mission

Since 2020, EPFL Xplore has participated in 5 consecutive editions of the European Rover Challenge, building a new Rover and Drone each year. This pole brings together students from across disciplines to design, build, and operate autonomous robots, tackling real-world tasks in engineering.

Discover Each Edition

Dive into the journey of each year's competition: from rover designs and subsystems to photos, videos, and final rankings.

Rover Phoenyx
Phoenyx
2025
Rover Onyx
Onyx
2024
Rover Kerby
Kerby
2023
Rover Astra
Astra
2022
Rover Argos
Argos
2021

What is the European Rover Challenge?

The European Rover Challenge (ERC) is a prestigious space robotics competition in Europe. Each year, university teams from around the world gather in Poland to compete with their Rovers & Drones in a series of challenging tasks that simulate real Martian exploration missions.

Competition Format

  • The ERC is part of the European Space Foundation
  • Held annually in Krakow, Poland
  • Open to university teams worldwide
  • Teams must pass an extensive design & documentation phase before qualifying

Main Phases

  • Documentation Phase – Teams unveil Rovers & Drones by many reports
  • On-site Phase – Around 20 teams compete in person at the ERC's Mars Yard
  • Technical reviews, interviews, and live demonstrations are held during the event

Mission Tasks

  • Navigation Task – Autonomous traversal across rocky terrain
  • Drone Task – Autonomous Flights and Objects Detection
  • Science Task – Soil analysis and geological hypothesis
  • Maintenance Task – Operating switches and objects using a Robotic Arm
  • Presentation Task – Explain engineering & management decisions to a jury

Scoring & Awards

  • Each task is scored independently
  • Top prizes for tasks
  • Final rankings reflect overall performance across all categories

Why ERC Matters

The ERC is more than a competition — it’s a proving ground for the next generation of space engineers. Teams are evaluated on both technical excellence and team dynamics, pushing students to solve real-world problems under pressure. It prepares participants for careers in space robotics.