competition
National Robotics League 2025
The National Robotics League 2025 was held December 6–7, 2025 at IIT Bombay, Mumbai — organized by The Innovation Story (TIS) in collaboration with IIT Bombay, with the 2025 season built around the theme "Battle of Charges." The event brought together roughly 600 students across 100 teams from 65+ schools (Grades 7–12) from across India, evaluating participants not just on robot combat but on real-world problem solving, design thinking, and engineering documentation.
7 students from Robotic Sir AI India were selected out of a highly competitive national pool to represent the team at IIT Bombay. Rather than building standard competition bots, the team engineered two advanced, real-world prototype systems addressing defense logistics and rural healthcare.
MK-4 Merkava: Defense-Grade Unmanned Ground Vehicle
The MK-4 Merkava is a tactical UGV built for hazardous material handling, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), and rough-terrain reconnaissance — keeping operators out of blast zones while retaining high-torque manipulation capability.
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Processing & Comm | 32-bit ESP32 (240 MHz) for high-speed PWM motor control, with integrated Wi-Fi and BLE for low-latency telemetry |
| Drivetrain | Cytron MDD10A dual-channel driver (10A continuous/30A peak), Johnson DC geared motors, 125mm high-clearance off-road treads |
| Manipulator & Gripper | Dual MG995 metal-gear servos driving a high-aperture dual-jaw claw, sized for cylinders and irregular EOD ordnance |
| Chassis & Armor | CNC laser-cut aluminum frame with fold-out landing gear, MIG-welded steel gripper cover, hydro-dipped military camouflage finish |
| Power Supply | High-density 21700 Li-ion battery pack for continuous high-current field operation |
Extended use cases:
- Search & rescue — navigating collapsed buildings and tunnels to deliver emergency medical kits
- Industrial hazard containment — entering vapor-filled enclosures to relay gas-sensor telemetry and isolate valves before human entry
Compressor-Free Refrigerator Prototype
A vibration-free, solid-state cooling system designed to address cold-chain gaps in India's agricultural and medical sectors:
- Cold chain logistics — holds a stable 5°C for transporting vaccines and insulin to rural areas without power-hungry compressors
- Agricultural spoilage reduction — a low-power, accessible cold room for farmers to store perishable crops immediately post-harvest
- Drone-mounted delivery — lightweight and vibration-free, suited for integration into heavy-lift drones for aerial medical drops
- Off-grid bio-storage — minimal power draw allows solar operation for remote expeditions or extreme-climate research stations
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the National Robotics League (NRL) at IIT Bombay?
India's largest and most prestigious student robotics championship, where middle and high school students design, build, and battle robots while solving real-world engineering challenges.
Who organized the National Robotics League 2025?
The Innovation Story (TIS), in collaboration with IIT Bombay, with backing from industry sponsors including Param Capital.
What was the 2025 championship theme?
"Battle of Charges," testing student teams on engineering execution, strategic gameplay, and creative expression.
How large was the event?
Around 600 students, representing over 100 teams from more than 65 schools across India.
What did Robotic Sir's students present?
7 selected students built and showcased two prototypes: the MK-4 Merkava, a defense-grade UGV, and a solar-compatible compressor-free refrigerator for cold chain logistics.
What makes the MK-4 Merkava suitable for hazardous use?
A CNC laser-cut aluminum chassis, MIG-welded steel armor, and an ESP32 microcontroller for low-latency wireless control, letting it traverse rubble on 125mm off-road tires and handle explosives via its dual-jaw servo claw.
How does the UGV protect human operators?
Through a Wi-Fi/BLE control link and onboard gas sensors, it acts as a reconnaissance surrogate — feeding live environmental telemetry back to operators so they can stay at a safe standoff distance during EOD or toxic-gas work.
What is a compressor-free refrigerator?
A solid-state cooling system (such as thermoelectric cooling) that holds stable temperatures around 5°C with minimal power and no moving parts, unlike traditional mechanical-compressor fridges.
How could compressor-free refrigeration help rural India?
Its very low power draw lets it run entirely on small solar panels, letting off-grid farmers store perishable crops immediately after harvest and cut post-harvest losses.
Conclusion
The National Robotics League 2025 gave Robotic Sir's student team a national stage to move beyond competition bots into original engineering work — pairing tactical hardware design with a practical rural-healthcare application, both built and presented by a 7-student delegation at IIT Bombay.