ERC meaning in Regional ?

European Rover Challenge (ERC, ERC Space & Robotics) – The annual international Martian robots competition attended by teams from around the world. The competition has been organized since 2014 in Poland.

The ERC is the biggest robotics and space event in Europe addressed to the world of science and business, the new technologies sector as well as the general public. The European Rover Challenge, like the University Rover Challenge, is a part of the Rover Challenge Series – the most prestigious robotics competitions in the world.

The core of ERC is an international Martian robot competition (so-called Mars rover analogs) attended by students, graduates, and researchers from universities around the world. The teams consist of several people who work hard on a fully functional next-generation Mars robot for 12 months. Each team includes specialists in mechatronics, automation, robotics, autonomy, connectivity, and navigation. They come with departments connected with administrations, team management, promotion, and finances.

Traditionally the competition is accompanied by events addressed to the wider public, such as the Inspiration Zone, lectures delivered by experts, and film screenings related to space. Those participants who are involved with the space sector can take part in workshops as well as substantive and mentoring meetings, panel discussions, and debates.

In 2020, the ERC competition was carried out in the new remote formula, in which competitors from several continents remotely controlled a robot located on the Marsyard on the campus of the Kielce University of Technology in Poland.

Since 2021, the competition takes place both in the remote and on-site formula.