10 Apr 2026
Oxford students revive competitive robotics with UniBots success
A team of Oxford students has reintroduced competitive robotics to the University, securing second place at the Cambridge Regional round of the UniBots competition.
Engineering Science students: Azka Adziman (project lead), Elise Cohen, Kodai Tsutsui, Tanya Giridharan, Yuxuan Wu and Zejia He, Sky Alexander; alongside Yucong Cao, Jiajing Xie, Christopher Lee, Daham Sooriyabandara and Lingyue Wang.
The team, OxBots, was formed this academic year as part of Engineers Without Borders Oxford (EWBOx), marking the return of student-led robotics competition at Oxford for the first time since 2022.
Led by Azka Adziman (2023, MEng), the initiative has played a key role in re-establishing Oxford’s presence in student robotics competitions. Azka brought together a multidisciplinary team of 13 students to design and build a fully autonomous competition robot.
Competing against 30 other university teams, OxBots placed second in a challenge requiring robots to collect ping pong balls and metal ball bearings and deposit them into their goal. The catch: robots had to operate entirely autonomously, with no human control. To meet this challenge, the team developed systems for localisation using AprilTag detection, object recognition, and real-time decision-making. The robot was designed and built from scratch, integrating mechanical, electronic and software components into a single system.
The team was structured into CAD, electronics and software groups. The CAD team iterated on the robot’s roller intake mechanism through rapid prototyping and 3D printing, helping to give OxBots a competitive edge in ball collection. The electronics team focused on power distribution and component selection, while the software team developed algorithms enabling the robot to detect, track and remember ball locations to inform its strategy.
The project followed an iterative development process, progressing from initial concepts and cardboard prototypes to repeated cycles of CAD design, fabrication and testing. Weekly build sessions over the course of a term and a half enabled the team to refine their design alongside demanding academic schedules. Reflecting on the experience, Azka said:
“The most rewarding experience has been working with the team and our community to create something that is physical and real. It’s given me real optimism about building more robotics projects at Oxford, and creating collaborative spaces for students to design and build together.”
OxBots was supported by the Department of Engineering Science, alongside Engineers Without Borders Oxford, with additional infrastructure support from the Oxford Edge and partial funding from an Exeter College JCR motion.
Looking ahead, the team will compete at the UniBots National competition later this year, with plans to further develop their robot and explore new strategies.
OxBots’ autonomous robot in action at the UniBots Cambridge Regional competition.
Members of OxBots with their robot during the UniBots Cambridge Regional.
The Oxford team OxBots celebrate their second-place finish at the UniBots Cambridge Regional.
