Drone Soccer is a competitive aerial robotics challenge hosted as part of Techkriti, the annual science and technology festival of the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. Techkriti is one of Asia's largest student-run technical festivals, drawing thousands of participants from engineering colleges across India for its competitions, exhibitions, workshops, and speaker sessions. This edition's Drone Soccer event brings a fast-paced, arena-based drone sport to the campus at Kalyanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
What it is
Teams design, build, or configure their own caged drones and pilot them through an active arena to score goals by flying cleanly through an elevated circular Goal Ring, while navigating physical obstacles and opponent defense zones.
Who it's for
Engineering students, robotics enthusiasts, drone builders, and hardware tinkerers. Teams may have 2 to 5 members, and cross-college teams are allowed, so participants from different institutions can collaborate.
Rules and model regulations
- Each team must use its own custom-built or custom-configured drone wrapped in a protective cage/exoskeleton.
- Exchanging models or components between teams during match rounds is strictly prohibited.
- Standard Ready-To-Fly (RTF) commercial consumer drones are not allowed; pre-programmed flight controllers and stabilization boards are permitted.
- Only one main drone model may be used across all competition rounds.
Flight and conduct rules
- No trial attempts in Round 1; teams get a 2-minute warm-up/trial period before Round 2 matches.
- Manually lifting or repositioning the drone during active gameplay is prohibited.
- A drone that crashes and cannot take off within the allotted restart window forfeits that attempt or round.
- Organizers and judges hold final authority on match rules, scoring disputes, and safety calls.
Event structure
- Round 1 - Drone Soccer Arena Showdown: Pilot caged drones through an arena with physical obstacles and designated opponent defense zones.
- Goal Scoring Task: Navigate past defensive barricades and maneuver cleanly through the elevated circular Goal Ring. Each successful goal earns points based on precision and execution. Failed or bounced attempts earn no points but incur no penalty, allowing immediate reset and retry.
- Match Execution: Timed sprints where agility, mid-air defense, collision recovery, and scoring accuracy decide the winners.
Registration
- Team Size: 2–5 members
- Registration Deadline: 2026-11-14
- Entry Fee: Free
This is a hands-on engineering and piloting challenge ideal for students looking to showcase drone-building skills, compete in a high-energy arena format, and connect with the broader Indian robotics and hardware community.