📅 10th to 14th of March 2026
📍Koelnmesse
🏆 5th place
After nearly a year without competitions, the time had finally come: we were off to Cologne for the 2026 German Open! Between intense training, exciting matches, and plenty of time spent together, the trip quickly turned into a mix of a company outing, a business trip, and a school field trip.
A challenging start
After arriving and setting up on Tuesday, the first official day of competition began on Wednesday. In addition to numerous adjustments to hardware and software, the first two matches were on the schedule right away.
Right at the start, we faced the TIGERs Mannheim, the reigning world champions. As expected, we were soundly defeated, but we were able to gain valuable insights, particularly for our software and strategy development.
We made intensive use of the time leading up to the second match to implement initial improvements. We also made progress on the hardware side, getting robots that had been written off back into working order. In the match against KIKS from Japan, the first positive developments became apparent: more stable systems and a more structured overall playing style. Even though we lost the match, the progress was clearly evident.
And despite all the challenges, one thing remained constant: the fun we had as a team.
Progress and inspiration off the field
The second day began with an impromptu practice match—once again against the KIKS. The strategic adjustments made overnight paid off and led to a significantly better performance.
This was followed by the official opening of the RoboCup, during which Dorothee Bär, the event’s patron, shared her enthusiasm for robotics and innovation. In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to visit the didacta trade fair, which was taking place at the same time. The robotics booths were a particular highlight for us: exciting conversations, new insights, and the chance to try out various systems ourselves.
However, the last match of the day against the Immortals did not go as hoped. It became clear that our robots still lacked assertiveness on offense. For our strategy team, that meant: back to the code!
A strong finish and a look ahead
All that hard work paid off on the third day. After a short (or rather long) night of fine-tuning, the team showed a significantly improved performance in the final group match against ER-Force. Even though we lost the game 2-0, it was an exciting, evenly matched contest and a clear step forward compared to our previous games.
Additional test matches against other teams rounded out the day and provided valuable new insights.
Even without a trophy or medal, we draw a positive conclusion: We’ve improved technically, grown closer as a team, successfully integrated new members, and, above all, experienced many wonderful moments. We finally used the last day to enjoy Cologne together one last time before heading home after the awards ceremony.
German Open 2026 – it was a blast!
