The challenge is intended for students enrolled at 2-year or 4-year colleges and universities, as well as trade or technical schools. Graduate students are encouraged to participate, provided that they do not make up more than 50% of a team’s members.

Due to compliance requirements related to U.S. export control laws and guidance from the University of California Office of the President (UCOP), participation is restricted in some cases. Specifically, students enrolled at institutions located in, or directly affiliated with, certain countries designated as sensitive under current U.S. regulations are not eligible to participate.

At present, this restriction applies to students from the following countries:

• China

• Iran

• North Korea

• Russia

• Qatar

• Saudi Arabia

• United Arab Emirates

We recognize this limitation may be disappointing to some, and we emphasize that this policy is not a reflection on individual students or their abilities, but rather a matter of compliance with U.S. regulatory requirements.

A team advisor can be a faculty member, graduate student, or school staff member.

Yes, teams may be formed with students from more than one institution, subject to the following limitations:

Lead Institution:
One university or college must be designated as the lead institution. This institution will serve as the primary point of contact and will be responsible for registering the team, submitting deliverables, and managing overall coordination. Should the team win an award, the award (cash prize/travel stipends) will be directed to the lead institution.

Number of Partner Institutions:
The lead institution may collaborate with up to two additional institutions. This means a team can include students from a maximum of three institutions in total (the lead plus two partners).

Types of Institutions:
While there is flexibility in the types of institutions that can partner, a common arrangement might be:

• A 4-year university partnering with a 2-year community college, or

• Two or three 4-year universities/colleges with existing research or academic partnerships.

Advisors:
Academic advisors from all participating institutions are welcome and encouraged to support the team.

Teams are free to use technologies of their choice including unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV or drones), attachments, control systems, sensors, and software. Designs can include a mix of commercially available gear and/or custom builds. The emphasis is on the creative, innovative, and novel use of technology to solve pressing issues in agriculture.

There is no fee to enter and participate in the challenge.

We currently do not have central funding to provide teams with grants. It is up to each team to procure their own equipment and budget for project related expenses.

View information on the Amiga robot at Bonsai Robotics.

You can also reach out to:

Linda McNair, VP of Marketing

linda.mcnair@bonsairobotics.ai

You can also access technical information for the Amiga robot on our resources page.

The competition follows the academic calendar year. Team formation and problem identification begin in the fall. During winter and spring, teams work on development, field testing and compile their final reports for submission towards the beginning of May. Exact dates listed above.

Teams compete for prestigious prizes and exclusive opportunities to present their innovations at leading industry conferences. In 2026, more than $100,000 in prizes will be awarded. Visit our prizes page to explore the rewards available in this year’s competition.

Yes, so long as each team is working on a unique problem.

Choose the top projects that best represent your school.

Technology can also be shared across multiple teams.

Yes, so long as your project did not win an award from a prior competition year.

We recognize there is a learning curve and some projects may take more than one year to complete. We encourage you to iterate on your design and continue to refine and improve it as needed.

Please contact:

Kelly Scott @ frc@ucanr.edu

or submit an inquiry via our contact page