IIIT-Dharwad team secures fourth place in ISRO robotics challenge
A team from IIIT-Dharwad secured fourth place in the ISRO Robotics Challenge 2026. The students developed an autonomous heavy-payload quadcopter capable of navigating simulated Mars environments without GPS.
Why it matters
This achievement highlights the growing capabilities of Indian engineering students in autonomous aerial systems and space exploration technology.
Team Icarus of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Dharwad, has secured fourth place in the ISRO Robotics Challenge–URSC (IRoC-U) 2026 and won a cash prize of ₹2 lakh.
The team comprised Jayesh Patil, Saksham Gupta, Aswin Joseph, Priyanshu Mittal, Raskin Verma, Ankit Dash and Mohammad Rehan.
Addressing a press conference at IIIT Dharwad on Tuesday, director S.R. Mahadeva Prasanna and Professor of Practice Mallikarjun Kande said the seven-member team was among 20 teams selected for the final round at the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru after clearing the preliminary, qualification and elimination stages.
The team developed an autonomous heavy-payload quadcopter designed to operate in a simulated Mars-like environment without GPS connectivity. The drone could navigate autonomously, identify designated targets, execute mission operations and return to its base without human intervention.
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