Brave1 and the Ukrainian Startup Fund launch the student engineering challenge "Alternative robots"

The Brave1 Defense Technology Cluster and the Ukrainian Startup Fund, with the support of the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, are launching a new challenge within the Brave Students program.

This time, participants are offered to create a robotic device capable of moving without wheels and caterpillars. Teams will independently determine the purpose of their decision, its design and the principle of movement.

What needs to be developed?

The task of the — challenge is to create a robotic platform that can move overland, amphibious or underground without the use of wheels or caterpillars.

Participants can experiment with different approaches to moving —, such as walking, crawling, rolling, or other non-standard mechanisms.

The organizers deliberately do not set a narrow technical specification. Teams must independently determine which task can be enhanced by robotics and offer their own technological solution for it.

The challenge involves a full cycle of work on an engineering solution:

• development of the concept;

• presentation of the idea to manufacturers' engineers;

• creation of a physical prototype;

• testing and demonstration;

• finalization of the decision;

• final presentation of the prototype.

Thus, participants will be able to gain practical experience in working on a real technological task and interacting with representatives of the defense industry.

The most promising teams will have the opportunity to continue the development of their projects and move from student development to the practical application of the solution.

Who can participate?

Students of Ukrainian universities and colleges who want to develop engineering skills, work on their own technological solution and try to go from idea to physical prototype are invited to participate.

Due to security restrictions, detailed conditions and deadlines for the next stages will be communicated to registered and selected teams separately. The challenge schedule may also vary depending on the security situation.

Registration lasts until September 17, 2026.

Register for the challenge .

More details on the website of the Ministry of Education and Science.

"Alternative Robots" — is the second engineering challenge within Brave Students, a Brave1 initiative aimed at involving students and universities in the development of applied solutions in the field of defence tech and dual-use technologies.