Major International Success for Konya in China

Selçuk University achieved major international success by winning first place at the Singapore Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Challenge (SAUVC 2026), one of the world’s most prestigious competitions in underwater robotics.

The event was held in Sanya, China, where the university competed with two teams and managed to reach the finals with both. The MYS YILDIRIM team stood out among strong international rivals, winning the championship title and also receiving the Innovation Award.

Organized by the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society, SAUVC 2026 took place between May 28 and 31, 2026. The competition brings together university teams from around the world to design, build, and test autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). This year, more than 120 teams from 22 countries registered, and 52 teams advanced to the final qualification stage.

Representing Türkiye, the MYS ABDÜLHAMİD and MYS YILDIRIM teams both qualified for the final stage, where 17 teams competed. The MYS YILDIRIM team secured first place with its outstanding performance and was also awarded the Innovation Award for its project titled “Design and Fabrication of a Bio-inspired Soft Gripper for Underwater Manipulation.”

With this double achievement, the team earned the opportunity to present a poster at OCEANS 2026, representing Selçuk University on an international scientific platform at the highest level.