rosslight robotics presents its First scientific paper in South Korea
We are proud to share an important milestone in the journey of rosslight robotics: our co-founder Tom Linnemann presented the company's first scientific paper at the RoboCup World Championship 2026 in South Korea.
The paper represents months of development, testing, and collaboration with educators, competition organizers, referees, and former RoboCupJunior participants. Most importantly, it reflects our mission to make high-quality robotics education more accessible around the globe.
A project inspired by real challenges
RoboCupJunior Rescue is one of the world's leading educational robotics competitions. Students design autonomous robots that navigate realistic disaster scenarios, overcoming obstacles, detecting victims, and solving complex challenges through programming, engineering, and teamwork.
However, schools, clubs, and tournament organizers often face a common challenge: obtaining reliable, standardized, and competition-ready field materials.
Building RoboCupJunior Rescue fields traditionally requires significant time, budget, and manufacturing expertise. Different field systems for Rescue Line and Rescue Maze often lead to higher costs, limited compatibility, and increased storage requirements.
This challenge became the starting point for our research and product development.
Introducing a modular, open-access rescue field system
In the paper, we present a new field architecture developed by rosslight robotics that combines:
A unified 30 × 30 cm modular tile system
Compatible components for both Rescue Line and Rescue Maze
Locally manufacturable parts
Open-access fabrication drawings
Competition-grade durability and reliability
Incremental scalability for schools and organizations of all sizes
Rather than forcing teams to invest in completely separate field systems, our approach allows many components to be shared across competition formats. This reduces costs and simplifies classroom implementation while maintaining compatibility with official RoboCupJunior requirements.
Open access meets professional quality
A key idea behind the project is that educational robotics should be accessible.
For this reason, the system was designed with an open-access philosophy. Schools, clubs, and event organizers can access fabrication drawings and reproduce components locally, enabling repairs, expansions, and customized field setups without relying on a single supplier.
At the same time, the professionally manufactured competition version is built to withstand the intensive demands of major robotics events. The system uses robust aluminum composite panels, durable 3D-printed elements, and reliable fastening mechanisms that help maintain precise field geometry throughout repeated assembly and transport cycles.
Designed by the community, for the community
One aspect we are particularly proud of is the background of the development team.
The field system was created by individuals who have experienced RoboCupJunior from multiple perspectives: as competitors, referees, tournament organizers, mentors, and engineers. This practical experience helped us design a solution that addresses both competition requirements and the realities of classroom teaching.
The result is a platform that supports students on their first robotics projects while also meeting the expectations of international competitions.
Proven on the international stage
The concepts described in the paper are not just theoretical.
The field system has already been successfully deployed at several major international RoboCup events, including:
RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2025 in Abu Dhabi
RoboCup German Open 2026 in Cologne
RoboCup South Korea Open 2026
These real-world deployments validated the durability, flexibility, and ease of assembly of the system in demanding competition environments.
Looking ahead
Presenting our first scientific publication at the RoboCup World Championship is a significant step for rosslight robotics. It demonstrates our commitment not only to developing innovative products but also to contributing to the global robotics education community through research and open collaboration.
We would like to thank everyone who supported this project—from educators and organizers to mentors, students, and the RoboCup community.
This is just the beginning. We remain committed to creating accessible, scalable, and competition-ready solutions that inspire the next generation of engineers, researchers, and innovators.
See you at the next RoboCup!
Authors of the paper: Tom Linnemann, Lara Trappmann, Max Streicher, Ole Rosskamp, Alexander Radtke, and Malte Rosskamp, rosslight robotics GmbH.