USSEO Opens 2027 Robotics Challenge for Students Worldwide
USSEO opens its 2027 Human-in-the-Loop Robotics Challenge, now an official RECF Online Challenge. Register by Feb 5 for
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USSEO opens its 2027 Human-in-the-Loop Robotics Challenge, now an official RECF Online Challenge. Register by Feb 5 for a chance to reach the RECF World Championship.
New York, NY (PRUnderground) November 5th, 2026
This year’s theme: build robots that help people make decisions, not robots that make decisions for them.
Registration is now open for the 2027 United States Science Engineering Olympiad (USSEO), an international online robotics challenge for elementary, middle, and high school students. For the 2027 season, USSEO has officially joined the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation (RECF) lineup as an RECF Online Challenge.
The 2027 competition theme is Human-in-the-Loop. Instead of building autonomous robots that operate on their own, participating teams must design integrated systems where AI assists the human decision-making process while ensuring the human operator remains in ultimate control of the action.
USSEO is open to teams of one to four students globally. Operating without a standardized arena or game field, the project-based format allows elementary and middle school teams to tackle real-world problems of their choice. High school teams choose from five specialized USSEO tracks: Life and Health, Space and Natural Science, Environment and Sustainability, Society and Urban Systems, or Art, Culture, and Communication. Teams may combine grade levels, with the division determined by the oldest team member.
To remove financial barriers, teams can build using accessible commercial kits (VEX, LEGO, Makeblock, Sphero) or custom builds (Arduino, 3D printing). Initial robot sizing is capped at 40 x 40 x 40 cm (with extension permitted) and must operate under 14V using a maximum of six motors.
The challenge is executed in two phases:
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Phase 1 (Ideation): Teams submit a 1-2 page project proposal.
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Phase 2 (Build Phase): Teams construct and program a working prototype.
With no separate phase deadlines, teams can work flexibly at their own pace. Registration closes February 5, 2027, and final projects are due March 5, 2027. The preliminary round will be conducted entirely online, eliminating travel costs and logistical barriers for participating teams. Top eligible finalists will earn an invitation to showcase their prototypes live at the RECF World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri.
Last season’s Senior Division champion, Team Catalyst1294 from Sammamish, WA, exemplifies the high caliber of innovation USSEO fosters. Their winning project addressed the biological challenges of future space colonists traveling between planets with differing day lengths. Team Catalyst1294 developed a wearable sensor paired with an AI model to analyze bodily data and map out personalized circadian recovery plans. A companion robot then executed the plan using light therapy, timed alarms, and routine reminders, continuously adjusting treatment based on real-time human feedback.
The 2026 finals were conducted virtually in collaboration with the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, featuring live presentations to a judging panel comprising NYU Tandon faculty and industry experts.
“It was a great opportunity for my team to have a chance to present to a professor from one of my dream colleges. Having the evaluation online made it a lot easier and accessible for my team as well,” said a 2026 Senior Division participant.
To register a team or review complete challenge guidelines, visit https://www.usseo.org/ or view the challenge directly on https://recf.org/teams/competition/online-challenges/
About USSEO
USSEO (United States Science Engineering Olympiad), founded by the 501c3 non-profit organization Luminas Inc., is an international, project-based robotics and engineering competition. USSEO inspires the next generation of innovators by offering students worldwide a hands-on platform to build practical AI and robotics solutions through teamwork and creative problem-solving.
Media Contact:
USSEO Team (Luminas Inc.)
