Maryland 4-H Robotics
The Maryland 4-H Robotics contests will NOT be held at the Maryland State Fair in 2026. Please consult the information for each contest below, including the new 4-H Underwater ROV contest.
The 2026 4-H LEGO ROBOTIC CHALLENGE IS LIVE!
Check out the manuals below.
The Maryland State 4-H Robotics Challenges allow members to participate in an organized statewide robotics activity. Members in each county will form teams to build robots that perform specific tasks. The county teams will then have the opportunity to compete at the Maryland State Fair. Each year, teams of youth can compete in one of two Robotics Challenges: the “Lego Robotics Challenge” and the “Robotics Engineering Challenge” (REC). Both divisions will have a Jr. Division (8-11), an Intermediate Division (11-13), and a Senior Division (14-18). In addition, mixed-age teams will be allowed and will participate in the age division of the oldest team member.
Please click on this link to access the FAQ’s List
Have questions? Looking for help troubleshooting problems with building your robots or the field components? The 4-H Robotics Committee is here to help! You can ask questions and reply even without an account on our forum. Signing up will allow you to get notified of replies and contribute to other conversations, allowing for greater collaboration on best tackling this year’s 4-H Robotics Challenges. Take a look!
Maryland State 4-H Lego Challenge
The Maryland 4-H LEGO Robotics Challenge has 4-H members build robots using parts from the LEGO Mindstorms NXT, EV3, SPIKE Prime and/or RCX kits. The challenge is run on a 4’ X 4’ table where robots start in a home base area and then travel autonomously throughout the board, completing predetermined tasks. Robots are preprogrammed and score points as they complete tasks within a 2.5-minute time frame. Each team plays in multiple rounds, with their best robot game performance counting toward their final score.
The Maryland 4-H LEGO Robotics Challenge will also require the team to prepare a technical presentation for a panel of judges. In addition, the teams will demonstrate how their robot and attachments work, share their engineering notebook, and explain how they worked together throughout the season.
The community service project is a third component of the Maryland 4-H LEGO Robotics Challenge. Each season will present a new theme for the LEGO field and this project, where teams will be asked to develop a service project that relates to such. The team will then prepare a visual presentation for a panel of judges explaining their service project and its impact on their communities.
Each team’s final score will be a combination of their best robot round, technical presentation score, and service project score.
Maryland 4-H Lego Robotics Challenge Documents:
- 2026 Maryland 4-H LEGO Challenge - Natural Intelligence
- The playlist for the 4-H Lego Challenge Build Guide is here in this folder.
Teams interested in competing in the 2026 4-H Lego Challenge must submit this online form to register for one of the two regional events. All youth and volunteer coaches must be enrolled in 4-H Online! Information about the regional events and their deadlines follows.
| Region | Date | Location | Point of Contact | Registration Deadline (Jotform) | 4-H Online Enrollment Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Maryland | Tuesday, July 21 | Allegany County Fairgrounds 11490 Moss Ave, Cumberland, MD 21502 | Jessica Mellon jmellon2@umd.edu | May 1 | June 1 |
| Eastern Shore | Saturday, August 15 | Talbot County Ag Center in Easton | April Barczewski | June 1 | July 1 |
Completion of the Registration Jotform will be how teams sign up to participate in the 2026 4-H Lego Challenge and stay up to date on the contests.
4-H Robotics Engineering Challenge
The Maryland 4-H Robotics Engineering Challenge (REC) will have 4-H members building larger, more complex robots, up to 18” x 18” x 18”, which will compete on a 12’ x 12’ playing field constructed from carpentry supplies. The robot can be constructed from a variety of robotic platforms, including, but not limited to, VEX, Tetrix, or LEGOs. The theme of the challenge will change annually and will integrate STEM topics relevant to careers and current priorities in the industrial and technological worlds. Each game lasts 2.5 minutes, with the first 30 seconds reserved for the robots to perform missions autonomously using code preprogrammed by the team. The final 2 minutes of each game will be driver-controlled (teleoperation) through wireless controllers. The team with the most points after the full 2.5 minutes wins the match.
REC Teams will also present their engineering notebook, which they started and maintained throughout the season, and be interviewed by a panel of judges in the technical round. Teams can also craft a custom presentation for the technical round if desired. Judges will ask questions and score the team based on information they shared during this round, including the robot’s construction, its programming, the group’s overall teamwork, and their community service activities.
The state event for REC will be held on the Eastern Shore on Saturday, August 15, at the Talbot County Ag Center. Teams will need to complete 2026 4-H REC Registration form by June 1 to indicate the team will be competing. All youth and volunteer coaches must be enrolled in 4-H Online!