The environment
A BlueROV2 Heavy with a simple gripper, built on TU Hamburg’s ROS 2/Gazebo teaching and control framework.
SMALL-SCALE ROBOTS. HANDS-ON IDEAS.
The SHRIMP
Challenge.
A shared underwater world.
A different approach: yours.
Develop, test and compare methods for underwater manipulation in simulation. No underwater hardware required.
Explore the challengeUNDERWATER MANIPULATIONROS 2 / GAZEBO
THE IDEA
A common starting point.
What will you do with it?
Improve one component or rethink the whole system. The shared setup gives teams a way to compare approaches and uncover the roadblocks to reliable underwater manipulation.
Two manipulation tasks
Develop your approach to pick-and-place and valve-turning in a common underwater simulation.
A working starting point
Build on an autonomous baseline with a simple, non-optimized controller. Teleoperation is a reference outside the competitive ranking.
Automated evaluation
Submitted code or containers will be evaluated automatically, with results on an online leaderboard. Evaluation will consider execution time and cumulative control effort.
Support along the way
A dedicated channel in the Climate Robotics Network Slack workspace and weekly online office hours are planned to support participants.
No underwater hardware
Documentation and a reproducible software environment will support participation from your computer. Use your own gamepad to try teleoperation as an informal starting point.
Task-success criteria, scoring definitions, ranking rules and submission instructions will be published with the challenge call for participation. This workshop-specific challenge is not an official ICRA competition.
THE PATH TO ICRA 2027
From the first test
to the shared lesson.
FEBRUARY 2027
Get the setup.
The simulator, tasks and autonomous baseline are planned for release in February 2027, subject to workshop acceptance.
UNTIL EARLY MAY 2027
Make your approach.
Develop and submit your method for evaluation. Submissions are planned to close in early May. The exact deadline and submission instructions will follow with the challenge materials.
AT THE WORKSHOP
Share what you learn.
The top three eligible teams will be invited to present posters and short pitches. Remote presentations will be arranged beforehand for teams unable to attend. A separate Challenge Award will recognize achievement with a certificate.
BRING YOUR APPROACH
Let’s take it underwater.
The challenge materials, leaderboard, support links and exact deadline will appear here when released. Until then, get in touch with the organizing team.