2026 WRO USA AFFILIATE CUP
August 7–9, 2026
Northern Illinois University · DeKalb, IL
Northern Illinois University Altgeld Hall: Altgeld Hall, College Ave, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA
Registration Is Now Open!
Secure your team's spot at the 2026 WRO USA Affiliate Cup at Northern Illinois University. Winners in each category will represent Team USA at the WRO International Finals in Puerto Rico or the Americas Open in California.
Register Your Team
A valid USEL Season Pass or Affiliate membership is required to register.
Choose Your Challenge
Four unique categories designed to challenge different skills and interests. Following the official WRO rules for robot sizes and dimensions is crucial across all categories.
RoboMission
Design, construct, and program an autonomous robot to solve specific challenges on a field. Because the field is set up randomly each round, the robot needs to make its own decisions during the run.
General Rules (All Age Groups)Elementary
Perfect introduction to competitive robotics. Program an autonomous robot to complete themed missions on a challenge field.
Junior
More complex challenges requiring advanced programming. Robots must make autonomous decisions based on randomized field conditions.
Senior
The most challenging missions requiring sophisticated robot design and advanced programming strategies for complex field scenarios.
RoboSports
A fast-paced, exciting game where two teams each have two autonomous robots on the field competing in a sports-style match. Robots can be built from all materials with no limitation on motors, sensors, or cameras.
General & Game RulesRoboSports – Double Tennis
Teams design two robots that compete against robots from another team in an exciting head-to-head sports game format.
Future Innovators
A project-based competition where students create their own innovative intelligent robotics solution relating to the current season theme. Teams present to judges in a booth setting.
General Rules (All Age Groups)Elementary
Create innovative robotics solutions to real-world problems. Present your project to judges in a booth setting.
Junior
Teams present their project and robot to judges who evaluate innovation, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving skills.
Senior
Advanced innovation projects with emphasis on entrepreneurial thinking and sophisticated technical solutions.
Future Engineers
An exciting category for older students that brings current research challenges into schools and teaches an engineering workflow for solving real-world autonomous vehicle problems.
General & Game RulesFuture Engineers – Self-Driving Cars
Develop self-driving car solutions that navigate a track with obstacles, demonstrating advanced autonomous vehicle concepts.
Event Schedule
A three-day competition format across all WRO 2026 categories. All times are local Central (CT) and subject to final adjustment by the event organizer.
📅 August 7
- 1:00 PM – 8:00 PMOpen practice for all categories
Teams arrive, set up booths, and practice their robots on the official competition fields ahead of competition day.
📅 August 8
- 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMDay 1 Competition Rounds
- 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMSocial Event
The first day of competition rounds, followed by an evening social event for teams, coaches, and families.
📅 August 9
- MorningDay 2 Competition Rounds
- ~ 3:00 PM🏆 Awards Ceremony & Team USA Selections
The final day of competition concludes with the awards ceremony, where winning teams are invited to represent Team USA at the WRO International Finals in Puerto Rico and the Americas Open in California.
Event Details
📅 August 7–9, 2026
Practice Day · Competition Days · Awards
✅ Who Can Participate
The 2026 WRO USA Affiliate Cup is open to all teams who have purchased an active WRO Season Pass, or competitors participating through an Event Organizer Affiliate.
💳 Team Fee: $400 per team. | 🏆 Qualification: Winners in each category qualify for the WRO International Finals (Puerto Rico) and the WRO Americas Open Championship (California). | 🤝 Affiliate Teams: Register through your Event Organizer.
📍 Location
Northern Illinois University
Altgeld Hall
College Avenue
DeKalb, IL 60115
⏰ Event Schedule
Fri Aug 7: Practice Day
Sat Aug 8: Competition + Social
Sun Aug 9: Competition + Awards
See the Schedule section above for the full general agenda.
🤖 About the Event
The 2026 WRO USA Affiliate Cup is the National Qualifier hosted at Northern Illinois University's historic Altgeld Hall in DeKalb, IL. This is the highest-stakes USA-side event, awarding qualification spots to both the WRO International Finals in Puerto Rico and the WRO Americas Open Championship in California. Teams from across the country will showcase their engineering, coding, problem-solving, and teamwork across the WRO 2026 categories.
Hotel Recommendations
🏨 Reserved Block at the Northern University Campus Hotel
WRO has reserved a block of rooms at the Northern University Campus Hotel for Affiliate Cup attendees.
Booking details, group rate codes, and reservation links will be shared with registered teams as soon as the block is finalized. Watch your registration email for updates.
Airport Recommendations
✈️ Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD)
Distance from NIU DeKalb: Approximately 30 miles (35–45 minutes by car)
The closest airport to NIU DeKalb. A smaller regional airport with limited domestic routes, but with much less congestion than the major Chicago airports. Car rental is recommended.
✈️ Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
Distance from NIU DeKalb: Approximately 65 miles (1 to 1.5 hours by car)
The largest and most well-connected airport serving the Chicago metro area, with extensive domestic and international flight options — best for teams traveling from farther away or internationally. Rental cars, rideshares, and shuttle services are readily available.
✈️ Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
Distance from NIU DeKalb: Approximately 70 miles (~1.25 hours by car)
A convenient alternative for domestic travel, especially for teams flying Southwest Airlines. Rental cars and rideshares available at the terminal.
Transportation: Car rentals and rideshares (Uber/Lyft) are the most practical options for reaching NIU DeKalb from any of the airports. DeKalb is also accessible via Metra commuter rail from Chicago to nearby Elburn, with a connecting shuttle to the NIU campus.
Dining Options Nearby
DeKalb is a college town with a wide variety of dining options near the NIU campus, and the surrounding Sycamore and Fox Valley communities offer additional choices for team dinners.
🍽️ Lincoln Highway Corridor
Location: DeKalb, IL (minutes from NIU campus)
Cuisine: Diverse — American, Asian, Mexican, Italian, Fast Casual
The main commercial strip running through DeKalb features dozens of restaurants, from casual chains to local college-town favorites. A convenient choice for grabbing a meal between competition rounds or feeding a hungry team.
🍽️ Downtown DeKalb
Location: Downtown DeKalb, IL
Cuisine: Sit-Down Restaurants, Pubs, Cafes, Bakeries
DeKalb's historic downtown district offers a mix of sit-down restaurants, breweries, cafes, and dessert spots — a great area to gather the team in the evening after the day's competition.
🍽️ Downtown Sycamore
Location: Sycamore, IL (~6 miles north of DeKalb)
Cuisine: American, Italian, Local Favorites
The charming neighboring town of Sycamore has a quaint historic downtown with a handful of well-regarded local restaurants. A nice option for a slower-paced team dinner away from the campus area.
Contact & More Information
👤 Primary Contact
Will Wong
will@chasewoodlearning.com
🌐 Organization
For more information about our organization, visit:
www.chasewoodlearning.com
