neuroTUM claims 6th place and €10,000 at the NEURA Robotics Challenge 2025

We are incredibly proud to announce that neuroTUM won 6th place at the NEURA Robotics Challenge 2025! Out of a highly competitive field of universities and research institutes from across northern Europe, our team’s innovative approach to human-robot interaction earned us a spot in the finals at the KI Palooza event in Esslingen and a prize of €10,000.

The Project: A Brain-Controlled Robotic Arm

Our submission centered on integrating our custom Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) with NEURA Robotics' state-of-the-art MAIRA. The goal was to demonstrate how neural signals can be translated into complex, precise robotic movements in real-time.

To make this happen, we developed a system that allows a user to play Tic-Tac-Toe against an opponent using their brain signals. By decoding specific brain patterns, our software sent commands to the MAIRA arm, which then physically moved the game pieces on the board.

Participating in the challenge allowed us to work directly with a high-end robotic system. We want to extend a massive thank you to NEURA Robotics for providing MAIRA.

This success fuels our mission to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible at the intersection of neuroscience and robotics. Stay tuned as we continue to refine our BCI pipelines for more complex applications!