SUMO Robot Competitions: What They Are and How to Prepare — a Beginner's Guide

In a SUMO robot competition two robots try to push each other out of a round ring — just like sumo wrestlers. At the Georgian Robotics Association's championships SUMO robots are autonomous: once the match starts nobody controls them — the robot finds its opponent with its sensors and decides on its own when to attack.

That makes SUMO a test of mechanics, electronics and programming at once — and one of the best ways to learn robotics.

Classes and age limits may change from year to year — the exact rules are always on the competition page. For example, the SUMO tournament of ROBO BATTLE 2025 had two classes:

• up to 0.5 kg — the robot must fit in a 15×15 cm box;
• 0.5–3 kg — the robot must fit in a 25×25 cm box.

At the 2024 Robo Festival SUMO was open from age 16, in 2025 from age 14; school and student teams were welcome.

• Chassis and motors — a solid, low body and two or four motors with enough push; the lower the centre of gravity, the harder the robot is to flip;
• Motor driver and microcontroller — for example an Arduino-type board that reads the sensors and drives the motors;
• Opponent sensors — distance sensors (infrared or ultrasonic) so the robot can find its opponent;
• Edge sensors — line sensors that detect the ring's edge so the robot doesn't drive out on its own;
• Power — a battery that lasts the whole match;
• The program — search for the opponent, attack, and avoid the edge.

• Start simple: first make the robot detect the ring's edge reliably, then the opponent;
• Test a lot, under different lighting and on different surfaces;
• Split the roles in your team: mechanics, electronics, programming;
• Look at the photos and videos from our championships — you will find plenty of ideas there.

Current championship and registration: SUMO and Line Follower. Every association championship — in our history.