Robotic Hacky Racers brings the spirit of full-size Hacky Racers to robots. It’s a friendly but challenging outdoor racing event that sits somewhere between Pi Wars and full-size Hacky Racers: themed robots, real-world tracks, and plenty of experimentation.
Robots – autonomous or remotely controlled – race around an outdoor circuit, with qualifying runs followed by head‑to‑head races in size-based classes. The focus is on learning, creativity, and fun, as much as outright speed.
Next Event
Dates: 18–19 April 2026
Location: Footfest (near Sudbury, UK)
After trialling robotic racing at Footfest in 2025, we’re pleased to confirm that Robotic Hacky Racers will return there in 2026. Footfest is a private site and long‑running Hacky Racers venue, and provides a unique setting for robotic racing.
The entry form is here, entries close 31/1/26
Because this is a private site, entry numbers will be limited, and the exact address will only be shared with confirmed entries. We expect to cap the event at around 10 teams, so early registration is strongly encouraged.
If demand exceeds capacity, we plan to run additional standalone robotic racing events later in the year.
The Classes
A2 and under: maximum length 600mm, maximum width 420mm, maximum weight 25kg. Existing Pi Wars, DIY Robocar “stock” class Donkeycar , F1Tenth and DIY Robocar “unlimited” class robots should be eligible for this class.
Full-size: maximum length 1500mm, maximum width 900mm! Full-size entries need to meet the standard Hacky Racer rules. This includes having a team member as a passenger! We’ll make two exceptions to the standard rules: the budget limit is doubled (from the usual £500, to £1000), and steering must *not* be done by the passenger.
The races will combine Autonomous and Remote Control entries into a single start. A team can enter more than one class, and a robot can switch classes over the weekend if they wish.
The Track
The robot races will take place on the same outdoor circuit used by full-size Hacky Racers, at different times during the weekend.
- Rough grass surface, not a smooth car park
- Uneven terrain, bumps, and cambers
- Track edges marked by tall grass and physical barriers
Robots must be able to cope with real outdoor conditions. Waterproofing and robust construction are strongly recommended.
Navigation & Autonomy
To support autonomous robots, we will provide several optional navigation aids:
- ArUco markers placed around the circuit to define gates and track edges
- GPS RTK base station data
Autonomous entries are free to use any combination of these systems, or none at all. Full technical details, including marker sizes and numbering schemes, will be published ahead of the event.
Remote-controlled entries must be driven via FPV or another video-feed displayed on a screen, rather than by following or running alongside the robot. Very little of the track will be directly visible from the driver enclosure, and line-of-sight driving will not be practical or permitted.
This helps ensure fairness between entries, keeps people safely away from the track, and makes the event easier to marshal.
Autonomous entries are also encouraged to provide an FPV or screen-based remote control fallback, allowing drivers to safely recover a robot if it becomes stuck or immobilised.
Any manual intervention must be done from the designated driver area and via a video feed, to avoid any advantage from being physically closer to the robot.
Race Format
These rules may change slightly until the date and location of the first event are announced, but any changes will likely be clarifications rather than changes in intent. There will be a tech check at the start of every event to ensure that all entries comply with the rules and are safe.
Drivers and operators must remain within the designated pit / driver area during races.
Races will be approximately hourly through the day
We’ll be recording lap times using IR transponders that we provide on the day. The transponder itself is 38mm x 65mm x 22mm (STEP file linked below), please allow for a suitable mounting.
Styling & Crowd Vote
As with full‑size Hacky Racers, style matters.
Robots are expected to have:
- Bodywork or decoration
- A clear theme or identity
Prizes are awarded based on both race results and a crowd vote. Each team must provide a 150 × 45mm label for the voting board.
It’s expected that all entries will have a theme and some decoration, to help win the crowd vote. See below for examples of robots with recognisable, stylish bodywork.
You’ll also need to provide a 150x45mm label for the voting board. This can be paper, cardboard, or something fancier. See below for a photo of the board and example labels.
Electric propulsion only, no ICE engines. Lithium/lipo batteries are allowed but must be charged in a fireproof container (such as a lipobag) and in the designated charging area at the event. The team must understand safe handling and charging processes for their batteries. Over-discharge protection is recommended.
For the A2 class, there’s no budget cap and no restrictions on the components that can be used. For example, the main controller can be a microcontroller, single-board computer, or something else, with no brand restrictions.
All entries must have an easily accessible on/off switch on the robot and a means of stopping them remotely, preferably with something more robust than over Wi-Fi. For example, a standard RC transmitter and receiver, with the robot controller needing to receive a consistent “Go” signal from the receiver for it to drive. We will also accept control over Bluetooth for the first event, with a view to allowing it for all events if it proves practical. If you use an RC or Bluetooth controller, be sure to check it has sufficient range (at least 50m), and what the failsafe behaviour is if the transmitter goes out of range or gets turned off, we’ll check for this at the event. For Full-size entries, the on/off switch can be a removable link, an e-stop or a contactor/relay, but it must disconnect all power.
Entries must have a front bumper that isn’t sharp.
It’s worth mentioning that we will run the event even if it’s raining, so it’ll be worth waterproofing your electronics. We’ll have event shelters so that at least the pits will be dry.
Track
The track will be approximately 4m wide (between barriers) with a 100m perimeter. The tightest corners could be a hairpin, with a 2m centreline turning radius. An example of a possible track layout is shown below. It will be laid out with plastic “Tote” boxes. The boxes are mostly red or black, with some blue ones, as shown in the photo below. The boxes are 500mm long, 360mm wide and 260mm tall. We will place them end to end but we can’t guarantee there won’t be some slight gaps (max 100mm), especially after they’ve been crashed into a few times!
For the first robot-focussed event, the track will be in a paved car park, so the track will be fairly smooth, with bumps less than 25mm. Many of the later events are likely to be on grass.
We will be setting up a GPS RTK base station and UWB anchors from Makerfabs, all of which can be optionally used by entries for positioning. More info on these location systems can be found here. Timing will be via I-laps compatible IR transponders as mentioned above, picked up by an overhead timing gantry at the start/finish line.
If you want to enter, please register here, by 31/1/26
If you have any questions about the event or the rules, we can be contacted through the contact form, @hacky_racers on Twitter, Hacky Racers on Facebook or the Pi Wars discord.
