A team of four PhD researchers from Atlantic Technological University (ATU) has claimed first place in the internationally renowned Robothon Grand Challenge 2025, hosted by the Technical University of Munich’s Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (TUM MIRMI).
The winning team of Abdullah Haider Ali, Dipshikha Das, Camillo Murgia, and Ali Al Abbas are all researchers on the HEA TU RISE programme, co-financed by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Currently based at ATU’s Galway campus, the four students competed under the team name Atlabotics, showcasing a robotic solution capable of intelligent perception and responsiveness across varied tasks.
Competing against eight international teams from Germany, Ireland, India, and the UAE, Atlabotics impressed judges with a system that demonstrated adaptability and technical sophistication. “We tackled five core tasks ranging from vision-guided tasks to tool use and also designed our Bring Your Own Device challenge (BYOD) to demonstrate transferable skills and adaptability,” the team explained. “It was an incredible opportunity to apply our skills, research and creativity, and we are proud of how our team came together to deliver a robust, responsive system. We are thrilled our team Atlabotics has won first place and we thank the organisers and Peter So from Technical University of Munich MIRMI for creating such a thoughtful and inspiring competition, and to everyone who supported us along the way.”
Their mentor, Dr Philip Long, lecturer at ATU Galway, praised the students’ performance: "I’m really proud of the team for winning first place at the Robothon Grand Challenge 2025. They developed an advanced vision-based robotic manipulation system in a very short space of time, a testament to the state-of-the-art research they’re conducting as part of their PhD programmes. It’s a fantastic achievement on the international stage and a great example of their creativity, technical ability, and teamwork."
Of the four researchers, Ali Al Abbas, Camillo Murgia, and Dipshikha Das are registered with the School of Engineering (Dept of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering) at ATU Galway, while Abdullah Haider Ali is affiliated with the Dept of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering at ATU Letterkenny.
Their success is a powerful example of the innovation and research excellence emerging from Irish higher education institutions, particularly in the field of robotics and intelligent systems.
For more on the Robothon Grand Challenge and this year’s winners, visit the TUM MIRMI website.
