SLIIT is proud to announce the commencement of registrations for ROBOFEST 2026, Sri Lanka’s premier robotics competition, bringing together the nation’s brightest young innovators, engineers, technology enthusiasts, and industry professionals. Organized annually by the Faculty of Engineering SLIIT, ROBOFEST continues to serve as a platform for fostering innovation, creativity, and technical excellence among Sri Lankan youth. 

Since its inception in 2010, ROBOFEST has evolved from a university-level robotics competition into a prestigious national event that encourages participants to design, build, and program innovative robotic systems while developing practical engineering skills and technological expertise. Over the years, the competition has inspired thousands of students to pursue careers and interests in robotics, automation, artificial intelligence, and engineering. 

ROBOFEST 2026 will feature multiple competition categories catering to participants from different backgrounds and skill levels. The School Category provides young innovators with an opportunity to showcase their creativity, engineering skills, and analytical thinking through exciting robotics challenges. The University Category, featuring the popular Micro Mouse Competition, challenges undergraduate teams to develop autonomous robots capable of navigating complex maze environments with speed and precision. 

A major highlight of this year’s competition is the expansion of the Open Category with the introduction of one more advanced autonomous robotics challenge designed to address real-world engineering problems. For the first time in ROBOFEST history, participants will compete in the Autonomous Rover Competition, a challenge that requires teams to design, assemble, and program a fully autonomous ground rover capable of navigating a structured outdoor environment. The rover must detect checkpoints, avoid obstacles, generate a live map of its surroundings, and successfully return to its starting position. The competition emphasizes cutting-edge technologies and autonomous decision-making, providing participants with hands-on experience in technologies that underpin modern autonomous vehicles and intelligent robotic systems.

Following the successful introduction of the Autonomous Drone Competition in recent years, ROBOFEST 2026 will once again feature this exciting challenge as part of the Open Category. The competition has generated considerable interest among participants and continues to provide a platform for teams to demonstrate their capabilities in autonomous aerial robotics. Teams will develop fully autonomous aerial systems capable of completing a multi-stop navigation mission. The drone must autonomously take off, visit designated landing islands in a predefined sequence, avoid obstacles, remain within flight boundaries, and safely land at the finishing zone. This challenge highlights key areas of modern aerial robotics, including autonomous flight control, navigation, sensor fusion, computer vision, and intelligent mission planning. 

This version flows naturally from the rover paragraph while making it clear that the drone competition is a relatively recent addition that has continued due to its success. SLIIT recognizes that the true impact of ROBOFEST extends beyond the competition itself. As part of ROBOFEST 2026, the organizing committee will conduct a series of outreach programs and robotics workshops for school students across Sri Lanka. These initiatives are designed to introduce young learners to the exciting world of robotics, programming, electronics, and engineering design while fostering creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills. 

Through hands-on demonstrations, interactive learning activities, and practical robotics sessions, students will gain exposure to technologies that are shaping the future. The outreach programs aim to inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists, and innovators by providing opportunities to explore robotics in an engaging and accessible manner. By bringing robotics education directly to schools, ROBOFEST 2026 continues its commitment to empowering Sri Lankan youth and strengthening the country’s future STEM workforce. 

The competition also provides participants with valuable opportunities to engage with academics, industry professionals, and fellow innovators, creating an environment that promotes learning, collaboration, and technological advancement. 

Registrations for all the categories are now open and will remain open until 31st July 2026.  

With attractive prizes, exciting challenges, educational outreach programs, and opportunities to work with cutting-edge technologies, ROBOFEST 2026 is set to inspire and empower the next generation of robotics innovators while contributing to the advancement of robotics and autonomous systems in Sri Lanka. 

SLIIT invites school students, university undergraduates, industry professionals, and robotics enthusiasts from across the country to seize this opportunity to showcase their innovation, technical expertise, and passion for robotics in one of Sri Lanka’s most exciting technology competitions. 

For more information and registration details, visit www.robofest.lk 

Keep in touch with us through our social media channels: 

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/RobofestSLIIT/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robofestsliit/ 

SLIIT ROBOFEST 2026 – Inspiring Innovation, Empowering Future Robotics Leaders. 

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The Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has recommended that legal steps be taken to take over the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) and bring it under the purview of the Mahapola Trust Fund.

The COPE Committee pointed out that the transformation of SLIIT, which previously belonged to the Mahapola Trust Fund as an institution administered by it, into a fully private entity was carried out unlawfully.

The recommendation was issued by COPE Chair MP Nishantha Samaraweera to the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, K.A. Vimalenthirarajah, and the Chairperson of the Mahapola Trust Fund, former Justice Vijith Malalgoda.

This recommendation was made during the meeting of the COPE committee held last week, when the Lalith Athulathmudali Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund was summoned before the committee to examine the Auditor General’s reports for the years 2022 and 2023 and its current performance.

During the meeting, it was extensively discussed that the property transfer based on a Cabinet decision in 2015, carried out with the consent of the Minister at the time, was unlawful. It was also noted that SLIIT had paid Rs. 408 million to the Mahapola Trust Fund in this regard, and several Members of Parliament pointed out that it is concerning for an institution originally owned by the Fund to pay such an amount back to the Fund to gain ownership.

The COPE Chair emphasized that those responsible should be duly penalised and that such unlawful and fraudulent actions must be prevented from recurring in the future.

The Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Wasantha Samarasinghe, who holds the position “Founder Trustee” of the fund, stated that such fraud will not be allowed to fade into obscurity over time, and assured that further investigations will be conducted accordingly.

A former official who opposed the transfer of ownership at the time informed the committee that the institution, which had begun as a state entity with official representatives on the Board of Directors, was later illegally removed from state oversight due to greed stemming from the realization that it had become a hub of substantial financial movement.

It was also discussed that some parties might attempt to foster a misconception that these investigations could cause the collapse of a university attended by a large number of students. Therefore, the committee emphasized that while SLIIT should continue its current operations, its administration should be returned to the Mahapola Trust Fund. This would, in turn, enable a greater number of students to pursue degree programmes at a more affordable cost.

Attention was also drawn to the previous government’s failure to properly fill key internal roles in the Fund, including the Internal Auditor position. COPE highlighted that having an inadequately staffed workforce in an institution that handles such a large amount of funds raises serious concerns about its efficiency.

Discussions also covered the current status of companies administered by the Mahapola Trust Fund, including the National Wealth Corporation (Pvt) Ltd and its subsidiary NatWealth Securities Limited, both of which have been incurring losses. As such, the committee decided that a Commercial Audit should be conducted, and appropriate next steps taken.

Further, attention was drawn to the potential to expand Mahapola Scholarships to a greater number of students eligible for university admission. The Chairperson of the Fund stated that efforts are being made to achieve maximum equity in the use of interest and other income generated from the current capital of approximately Rs. 20 billion.

In addition, the Committee discussed issues including the appointment of Trade Exhibition Officers on a contractual basis for a two-year term in 2023, and a loss of Rs. 750 million to the Fund due to the withdrawal of the selected Online Lottery Operator. The Committee directed that these matters also be subjected to a Commercial Audit and that necessary actions be taken accordingly. (Newswire)

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The Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has instructed to file complaints with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Bribery Commission on irregularities concerning the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe said in Parliament today.

Addressing the Parliament, Minister Samarasinghe said that the Yahapalana Government and its entire Cabinet of Ministers must take responsibility for the financial scam reported at SLIIT.

He explained that financial irregularities had occurred due to the Yahapalana Government removing SLIIT from the Mahapola Scholarship Fund and converting it into a limited company. 

“Until 2015, SLIIT was operated under a management board operated under the Mahapola Scholarship Fund. However, in 2015, the Yahapalana Government decided to enter into an agreement with the management board without the knowledge of the Mahapola Scholarship Fund. No official approval was granted for this agreement by the subject ministry, while no such decision had been taken by the Mahapola Scholarship Fund,” he said. 

Minister Samarasinghe revealed that a Presidential Commission appointed to look into the matter had found that the agreement had been signed by the then Government and Cabinet, consisting of Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maithripala Sirisena, and Sajith Premadasa, disregarding regulations. 

“In 2017, this government and Cabinet made a decision to convert SLIIT into a limited company, disregarding the recommendations of the Presidential Commission. They have also donated Rs. 408 million from the SLIIT’s profit to the Mahapola Scholarship Fund. No one knows where they got this money,” he said. 

Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe said that complaints will be filed with the CID and the Bribery Commission in this regard to initiate legal action. 

He added that measures are also being taken to bring the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology under the purview of the Mahapola Scholarship Fund once again. (Newswire)

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