WRO® Open Championship
Americas – USA 2026
Bringing together young robotics innovators from WRO® member countries across the Americas and beyond
Welcome to the WRO® Open Championship Americas – USA
An international multi-day robotics championship open to WRO® member countries, hosted at the Ontario Convention Center in Southern California.
Venue
Ontario Convention Center
2000 E Convention Center Way
Ontario, CA 91764
Dates
September 25–27, 2026
Sept 25: Practice Day
Sept 26: Competition Day
Sept 27: Competition, Awards & Disneyland
International Event
WRO® Member Countries
Open worldwide. Qualification managed by each country's National Organizer.
5 Categories
Compete Across 5 Disciplines
RoboMission, RoboSports, Future Innovators, Future Engineers, and Sumobots.
Event Program
A three-day program covering practice, competition, awards, and a Disneyland field trip. Detailed competition schedules will follow closer to the event.
Day 1 — Friday, Sept 25
Practice & Build Day
Day 2 — Saturday, Sept 26
Competition Day
Day 3 — Sunday, Sept 27
Finals, Awards & Disneyland
Choose Your Challenge
Five unique categories following official WRO® rules for robot sizes and dimensions. For full rules, visit the WRO® official website.
WRO® RoboMission is a challenge-based competition where students design, construct, and program an autonomous robot to solve specific challenges on a field. Because the field is set up randomly each round, the robot needs to make its own decisions during the run.
📄 General Rules (All Age Groups)Elementary
Program an autonomous robot to complete themed missions on a challenge field. A perfect introduction to competitive robotics for younger students.
Junior
Advanced programming and autonomous decision-making on randomized field conditions requiring sophisticated design choices.
Senior
Sophisticated robot design and advanced programming strategies for complex field scenarios at the highest level of the category.
WRO® RoboSports is a fun and exciting game where two teams each have two autonomous robots on the field playing a sports game. The robot can be built from all materials with no limitation on motors, sensors, or cameras.
RoboSports – Double Tennis
Head-to-head competition where two robots per team compete against another team in an exciting sports game format.
A project-based competition where students create innovative intelligent robotics solutions relating to the current season theme. Teams present to judges in a booth setting where innovation, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving are evaluated.
📄 General Rules (All Age Groups)Elementary
Create innovative robotics solutions to real-world problems and present your project to judges in a booth setting.
Junior
Teams present their project and robot to judges who evaluate innovation, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving skills.
Senior
Advanced innovation with emphasis on entrepreneurial thinking, technical depth, and sophisticated real-world solutions.
An exciting category for older students that brings current research challenges into schools and teaches an engineering workflow for solving real-world autonomous vehicle challenges.
Future Engineers – Self-Driving Cars
Develop self-driving car solutions that navigate a track with obstacles, demonstrating advanced autonomous vehicle concepts.
Build, code, and battle with the USEL SumoBot Kit in exciting sumo-style matches combining strategy, sensor use, and quick thinking. Program your SumoBot to outmaneuver and push opponents out of the ring.
SumoBot Battle
Program your SumoBot to outmaneuver and push opponents out of the ring in fast-paced head-to-head elimination matches.
Event Pricing
Registration period: June 1 – July 25, 2026. All base fees listed in USD. Covers the full three-day event.
International Registration
Open to teams from WRO® member countries worldwide. Registration is coordinated exclusively by the National Organizer in each participating country. Contact your country's WRO® National Organizer to confirm eligibility and register.
No Refunds
No refunds are possible after registration has been completed. Please confirm participation with your National Organizer before finalizing.
Fees May Vary
Prices below are base fees in USD. Your National Organizer may charge higher amounts due to local taxes, administrative fees, or currency conversion costs.
* Base fees in USD. Final amount charged may be higher depending on your country due to local taxes, administrative fees, and currency conversion applied by your National Organizer.
✅ What's Included in the Fee
Airport transportation from Ontario International Airport (ONT) only — not from LAX or other airports.
Hotel accommodations are not included and must be booked separately. See partner hotel rates below.
Partner Hotels
Exclusive group rates at six hotels near the Ontario Convention Center. All rates cover Thursday 9/24 through Sunday 9/27, checkout Monday 9/28.
Delta by Marriott
$179 / night + taxHoliday Inn Ontario Airport
$169 / night + taxSheraton Ontario Airport
$145 / night + taxBest Western Plus
From $119 / night + taxComfort Suites Ontario CC
$139 / night + taxQuality Inn
$124 / night + taxTravel & Airports
Ontario is served by two major airports. We recommend flying into ONT for the shortest transfer and complimentary shuttle service.
✈️ Ontario International Airport (ONT) — Recommended
Distance: 1.5 miles (2.4 km) — ~5 minutes by car
Closest airport to the convention center. Complimentary shuttle to all partner hotels included with registration.
✈️ Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Distance: ~60 miles (97 km) — 1 to 1.5 hours by car
Major international hub. Complimentary shuttle is not provided from LAX — arrange transportation independently.
WRO International Sponsors
We are proud to partner with international and local organizations supporting STEM education and youth robotics.
Premium
Gold
Silver
Event Sponsors
Local and regional partners proudly supporting the WRO® Open Championship Americas – USA 2026.
About USEL
US Engineering League (USEL) is the official WRO® National Organizer for the United States, dedicated to advancing STEM education through competitive robotics and providing students across the country with opportunities to develop technical, creative, and teamwork skills.
As host of the WRO® Open Championship Americas – USA 2026, USEL brings together WRO® member countries from across the Americas and beyond in Southern California for a world-class robotics event.
USEL organizes regional and national qualifying tournaments throughout the USA, and represents American teams at WRO® international events each year.
Explore Southern California
Ontario is in the heart of the Inland Empire, just 35 miles east of Los Angeles — putting world-famous attractions within easy reach of the event.
🏰 Disneyland Resort
~25 miles from Ontario. You'll visit on Day 3 with your included Twilight Ticket (4–11 PM, Disneyland Park only).
🌊 Los Angeles & Beaches
~40–60 miles away. Hollywood, Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier, and countless world-famous sites are a short drive away.
🛍️ Ontario Mills Mall
One of Southern California's largest outlet and entertainment centers — just 1.5 miles from the convention center.
🏔️ Nature & Outdoors
The San Gabriel Mountains and Big Bear Lake are 30–60 miles away. California's mild September climate makes outdoor exploration easy.
World Team Map
Once registration opens and countries confirm their teams, the interactive map below will show all participating teams from around the world.
Team Map Coming Soon
The interactive world map will appear here once teams are registered.
Dining Nearby
The Old Spaghetti Factory
Family-friendly Italian classics. Located at Ontario Mills.
Yard House
Upscale casual American with an extensive menu.
BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse
Deep dish pizza, handcrafted beer, great for groups.
Buca di Beppo
Family-style Italian, perfect for sharing with your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get in Touch
Questions about the event, sponsorship, or need a visa invitation letter? We're here to help.
Send Us a Message
Fill out the form and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Email Us
Event Location
Ontario Convention Center
2000 E Convention Center Way
Ontario, CA 91764
WRO® Official
Visa Invitation Letters
Visa invitation letters are provided to National Organizers only. If your teams require visa support, please reach out to us directly as the National Organizer for your country.