How Teams Are Judged
The arena is only half the season. Every Kilobots team is scored across two full tracks — the engineering behind the robot, and the marketing and outreach that brings people into the sport.
Engineering
Engineering scoring covers how the robot performs in the arena, plus a set of Design Awards that recognize what went into building it.
How the robot actually performs and places during the competition — match results, control, strategy, and how it holds up under fire.
Judges look for: wins/losses, damage dealt vs. taken, driver control, and smart in-match strategy.
A separate set of awards recognizing the construction and design of the robot itself, independent of who wins each match.
Broken into three categories, detailed below.
Construction
How well the robot is actually built — fit and finish, wiring, structural integrity, and overall craftsmanship.
Judges look for: clean assembly, secure wiring, and a robot that’s built to last a full match.
Robustness
How well the robot holds up to real combat — taking hits, surviving multiple matches, and staying functional under stress.
Judges look for: durability under impact and reliable performance match after match.
Creative Design
Original thinking in how the robot is engineered — inventive weapon systems, drivetrains, or problem-solving.
Judges look for: original mechanisms and creative solutions to the 1kg format’s constraints.
Marketing
Marketing scoring is about everything a team does to represent their robot and their team beyond the arena.
Team STEM Showcase
Teams build an interactive STEM showcase about their robot and team, giving visitors a chance to learn about the build, meet the team, and ask questions.
Judges look for: how clearly the showcase explains the engineering, how organized it is, and how well students can talk through their own work.
Team Video
Teams create a video showcasing their robot, their team, and their season — Kilobots includes a Best Team Video award.
Judges look for: storytelling, production quality, and how well the video captures the robot and the team’s personality.
Both categories double as real practice in public speaking, technical communication, and community outreach — students don’t just build something, they have to explain it, demo it, and represent their team professionally to visitors, judges, and other teams.
Get the Details in Writing
The official Rule Book has the full scoring rules, and the Q&A is the place to ask — and see — every question teams have about the competition.
See the Full Event Schedule
Check out Frost Forge and the Championship Tournament.