What if a boat could read its surroundings, find its own route and navigate through obstacles, without someone constantly steering it?

That is exactly what three students from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) set out to achieve. Their team, Team Aritra, emerged victorious at the 2026 Njord Challenge in Trondheim, Norway, beating 22 teams from nine countries.

Organised by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the competition was held from August 10 to 14 and brought together student teams working on autonomous surface vessels.

Full Marks on the Water

The challenge was about much more than simply making a boat move. The autonomous vessels had to complete tasks including route-finding, manoeuvring, obstacle avoidance and parking at designated locations. They also faced a surprise challenge designed to test how well their systems could respond to an unfamiliar situation.

Team Aritra scored 90.42 points, finishing ahead of Türkiye’s MYS YAVUZ, which scored 79.90, and Poland’s AGH Solar Boat, which scored 79.63.

The IIT Madras team secured full marks in the pathfinding and boat-control tasks — a result built on months of testing and fine-tuning at the institute’s water-testing facility and campus lake.

When the Unexpected Struck

The real test, however, came when things did not go according to plan. According to a report in India Today, during the competition, strong magnetic interference affected a device responsible for helping the vessel understand its movement and direction. The team also discovered interference between its camera and GPS systems. Instead of throwing them off course, the students quickly identified the issues and made the necessary adjustments to keep the vessel navigating reliably.

Team member S Gurukesav said that  they scored full points in the pathfinding and manoeuvring tasks and performed well in the others. It entailed months of work on perception, controls and navigation systems. Team member Aarav Patel added that their journey was a reminder that “it is worth giving the unconventional a shot.”

From Student Project to Real-World Potential

Team Aritra comprises Aarav Patel, S Gurukesav and Madhava Sai, with mentorship from Dr Abhilash Sharma Somayajula and Prof M A Atmanand, supported by the Marine Autonomous Vessels Laboratory. Autonomous boats could have applications ranging from port monitoring and coastal surveillance to marine surveys and ocean data collection.

The victory not only showcases the students’ engineering skills but also highlights the growing possibilities of autonomous marine technology emerging from Indian campuses. IIT Madras Director Prof V Kamakoti applauded the students for their achievement and urged them to further develop their work for the nation’s benefit.