30th January 2023

Student AUV Challenge Europe

Held since 2006, SAUC-E challenges the next generation of engineers to design and build an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) capable of performing realistic missions. 
The event is designed to encourage students to think about underwater technology and related applications while fostering innovation and technology.  It also aims at getting young engineers and scientists to consider careers in the field.
Participating teams must consist of 75% student members and have a faculty advisor.

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From 2010 SAUC-E has been held in La Spezia (Italy) at NATO Undersea Research Centre (NURC), now Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE).
After the success of the nine first editions, competitors will have once again in 2019 the possibility to deal with real life conditions (i.e. limited visibility and salty water) since the competition will be held for the eight time outside at the CMRE sheltered harbor (in 2015 and 2017 was held in Piombino, Italy).

The Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) announces that the next SAUC-E competition will take place in July 2021. The Call for Participation is available here.

For any technical enquiry please contact Gabriele Ferri or Fausto Ferreira, your Points of Contact (POC) at CMRE.

For media enquires please contact CMRE PAO.

Visitors are by invitation only.

(AUV) is a robot that can navigate underwater without human intervention; these are essential equipment, particularly for activities involving ocean research. They have a number of them, and they were constructed employing a variety of cutting-edge technologies. The AUV carries out the required maintenance and repairs, executes the required equipment transport, and monitors and records various exploration-related conditions. The AUV can be used in oceanographic research for a variety of measurements, including the observation, release, and retrieval of equipment for monitoring undersea volcanoes, as well as conducting surveys of the seabed and numerous investigations in fields including biology and hydrology.

In order to create cutting-edge solutions for the marine field employing autonomous underwater vehicles, the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Challenge pushes applicants toward the newest technology and develops their underwater robotics skills by using them in realistic simulated missions.

SAUC-E is online: follow it at CMRE website and on Facebook and Twitter!

Watch the NATO channel TV video on SAUC-E ’12: part 1 and part 2.

Current News

26.06. 2020

Due to the COVID-19 situation, SAUC-E is postponed to July 2021 in La Spezia, Italy, integrated in the European Robotics League (ERL) Emergency Local Tournament. The ERL Emergency Local Tournament in La Spezia will include land and marine vehicles. Please check the website for more info.

13.01.2020

In 2020, SAUC-E will take place from July 18 to July 24 in La Spezia, Italy, integrated in the European Robotics League (ERL) Emergency Local Tournament. The ERL Emergency Local Tournament in La Spezia will include land and marine vehicles. Please check the website for more info.

In 2019, SAUC-E will take place from July 14 to July 19 in La Spezia, Italy, integrated in the European Robotics League (ERL) Emergency Local Tournament. The ERL Emergency Local Tournament in La Spezia will include land and marine vehicles. Please check the website for more info.

24.01.2018

In 2018, SAUC-E will take place from July 14 to July 20 in La Spezia, Italy, integrated in the European Robotics League (ERL) Emergency Local Tournament. The ERL Emergency Local Tournament in La Spezia will include land and marine vehicles.

15.06.2017

In 2017, SAUC-E will take place from September 15 to September 23 in Piombino, Italy, integrated in the European Robotics League (ERL) Emergency 2017.

1.07.2016

On July 7 at 10.30AM, Asst. Prof. Dr. Nikola Miskovic; from University of Zagreb will speak about “Humans and robots – buddies in the underwater”. See more on FB.

30.06.2016

We are glad to announce that Jeremy Colombel from ‪SBGSYSTEMS‬ company will give a talk on MEMS inertial sensors on July 7 at 3PM! See more on FB.

24.06.2016

The Scoring is now available for download.

22.06.2016

The ROBOCADEMY FP7 EU project is organizing a parallel workshop in the final day of SAUC-E. 13 PhD students will present their research and compete for the Best Oral Presentation award!

19.06.2016

SBG Systems is the latest company to confirm their exhibition space at SAUC-E’16!

17.05.2016

ISME, the Interuniversity Center of Integrated Systems for the Marine Environment exhibits at SAUC-E’16!

13.05.2016

CMRE is glad to announce that VideoRay LLC will be sponsoring SAUC-E’16 with four thrusters to the best two teams!

03.05.2016

The Mission Rules have been updated with few clarifications. Changes are highlighted in yellow.

03.05.2016

CMRE is glad to announce that the Office of Naval Research Global (ONRG) will be sponsoring SAUC-E’16!

29.04.2016

The University of the West of England, Bristol is the eighth team to register for SAUC-E’16!

29.04.2016

ROBOTUIC team from the International University of the Canary Island is the seventh team to register for SAUC-E’16!

27.04.2016

AUV Team TomKyle from University of Applied Sciences Kiel is the sixth team to register for SAUC-E’16!

26.04.2016

Team AUGA from University of Vigo and ACSM Subsea Services company is the fifth team to register for SAUC-E’16!

22.04.2016

An individual prize will be given by the sponsor Subsea Mechatronics SL: an internship with monthly stipend from 1 to 6 months. Please see more details on FB.

20.04.2016

CADDY FP7 project exhibits at SAUC-E’16! Please see more details on FB and at CADDY website.

19.04.2016

Due to several requests, the deadline for submitting the Intent to Compete form is extended to the 29th of April.

15.04.2016

ENSTA Bretagne Teams 1 and 2 from ENSTA Bretagne are the third and fourth team to register for SAUC-E’16!

15.04.2016

The UnivPM team from Polytechnic University of Marche is the second team to register for SAUC-E’16!

14.04.2016

Breaking the Surface 2016 awards the podium teams of SAUC-E’16 with free student accreditations (3 for the 1st, 2 for the 2nd and 1 for the 3rd). More info at FB and at BTS website.

13.04.2016

The UNIFI team from University of Florence is the first team to register for SAUC-E’16!

12.04.2016

We are happy to announce that OptoForce is supporting the challengers with a 50% discount on their 3-axis force and tactile sensors and a 33% discount on their 6-axis force/torque sensors.

06.04.2016

CMRE is glad to announce that the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society (OES) will be sponsoring SAUC-E’16.

30.03.2016

The Mission Rules have been updated with few clarifications. Changes are highlighted in yellow. The Scoring matrix will be available soon.

18.03.2016

The Intent to Compete form and the Quick Facts form and the first version of the Mission Rules have been published.

17.03.2016

SAUC-E’16 will be held at CMRE from 3 to 8 July 2016.

26.09.2014

ENSTA Bretagne and DFKI GmbH-University of Bremen jointly won SAUC-Europe �14. Download the press release.

02.07.2014

The 2014 Mission Rules have been updated (new version is 1.1). A picture of the piping assembly that will be used in SAUC-E 2014 has been also inserted.

25.06.2014

The deadline to submit journal article/videos has been postponed to 5 August 2014.

19.12.2013

SAUC-E ’14 will be held at CMRE from 20 to 26 September 2014. The new Intent to Compete form, the Quick Facts form and the Mission Rules 2014 have been published.

05.07.2013

The University of Cambridge wins SAUC-E ’13 at CMRE. Read the press release.

28.06.2013

SAUC-E ’13 starts at CMRE, La Spezia.

27.03.2013

The 2013 mission rules have been published.

02.08.2012

SAUC-E ’12 video (part 1 and part 2) has been posted by NATO Channel TV.

13.07.2012

ETS-Team Sonia wins SAUC-E ’12 at CMRE.

06.07.2012

SAUC-E ’12 starts at CMRE, La Spezia.

04.07.2012

The definitive programme and the logistic info sheet have been published.

23.06.2012

The useful information sheet has been published.

20.06.2012

The acoustic communication protocol has been posted.

30.05.2012

SAUC-E is pleased to publish the definitive list of teams participating in the 2012 edition:

– �cole Polytechnique,

– �cole de Technologie Sup�rieure (ETS) du Quebec,

– ENSTA Bretagne � CISSAU,

– ENSTA Bretagne � SAUC�ISEE,

– ESIEA Paris � Aquatis,

– ESIEA Paris � Ryujin,

– Heriot-Watt University, University of Bremen,

– University of Cambridge,

– University of Florence,

– University of Genoa,

– University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – AVORA,

– University of Luebeck � Team 1,

– University of Luebeck � Team 2,

– University of West England.

11.05.2012

The admin notice has been posted.

29.04.2012

The NATO Engineering Support Team (NEST) for SAUC-E has been launched.

13.04.2012

The new Student Autonomous Underwater Challenge-Europe (SAUC-E) Collaborative Platform have been published.

28.02.2012

SAUC-E ’12 competition updates have been posted.

28.02.2012

Entries continue to roll in for this year�s competition: the following Universities have sent in their �Intent to complete� form or have expressed an interest in joining us at NURC for the 2012 running of SAUC�E.

– two teams from the ENSTA Bretagne, France

– Universit� Studi Firenze, Italy

– Ecole Polytechnique, France

– University of the West of England, UK

– Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

– Team SONIA (Syst�me d’op�ration nautique intelligent et autonome) from �cole de technologie sup�rieure in Montreal, Canada.

15.02.2012

The new intent to compete form and the Mission Rules 2012 have been published.

03.02.2012

Tritech support announcement has been published: a 50% Educational Discount to students on the SAUC-E competition available.

30.01.2012

SAUC-E is pleased to welcome 2 new Teams to the 2012 competition:

– The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, also known as the ULPGC (Spanish Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

– Team SONIA (Winners of the 2011 AUVSI & ONR�s International Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition), �cole de technologie sup�rieure part of the Universit� du Qu�bec system. Specialized in applied teaching in engineering and technology transfer to companies, it teaches engineers and researchers who are recognized for their practical and innovative approach (for more: http://sonia.etsmtl.ca).

12.01.2012

The intent to compete form has been published.

26.11.2011

SAUC-E ’12 accommodation note has been published.

25.11.2011

SAUC-E ’12 will be held at NURC from 6 to 13 July 2012. If you want to support this worthwhile event sponsor us!

04.11.2011

DS SolidWorks Corp. would like to help sponsor student teams competing in SAUC-E with free 3-D design software.
If interested, you can go to
www.solidworks.com/SponsoredDesignContest and sign up your team.
DS SolidWorks Corp. provides software to help teams design and test their robots before they build them. DS SolidWorks Corp. is an AUVSI Foundation founding partner.

10.07.2011

SAUC-E ’11 winners awarded at NURC

07.07.2011

Qualification runs start at NURC.

06.07.2011

Ongoing practice runs at NURC.

04.07.2011

SAUC-E ’11 starts.