BENGALURU: Students of Manipal Institute of Technology Bengaluru are set to represent India at the RoboSub 2026, an international autonomous underwater robotics competition scheduled to be held from July 11 to 16 in Irvine, California. MIT Bengaluru is among two Indian institutions participating this year, alongside IIT Bombay.
Organised by RoboNation in collaboration with the United States Office of Naval Research, the competition will see nearly 60 teams from universities across the world compete by showcasing advanced Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) capable of performing complex underwater tasks.
The student-led project at MIT Bengaluru began in 2024 and involves an interdisciplinary team from computer science, electronics and information technology.
Over the past one-and-a-half years, the students designed and developed a fully functional AUV integrating autonomy software, computer vision, embedded systems, and mechanical engineering. The vehicle is capable of underwater navigation, object detection, manipulation and autonomous decision-making, with applications in ocean exploration, defence and offshore industries.
The team has been divided into four specialised subsystems covering mechanical design, electrical systems, software and automation, and management and design.
Apart from building the AUV, the students also developed technologies such as SONAR systems, hydrophones and integrated electrical and software architectures.
Dr Madhu Veeraraghavan, Pro Vice-Chancellor of MAHE Bengaluru, said the achievement reflects the institution’s focus on interdisciplinary learning and innovation-driven research. Dr Iven Jose, Director of MIT Bengaluru, said participation in competitions like RoboSub exposes students to high-performance engineering environments and global standards of innovation.