Pioneering Innovation in Autonomous Robotics: IEEE RAS ICRA 2024 Bots & Bento Competition [Competitions]

The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society International Conference on Robotics and Automation (RAS ICRA) 2024 Bots & Bento competition, held from 13 to 17 May in Yokohama, Japan, was a groundbreaking event that showcased cutting-edge innovations in autonomous material handling systems as part of a hackathon with several international teams. Co-organized by the Technical University of Munich Venture Lab for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (TUM Venture Lab Robotics/AI), UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyoIPC), and Olive Robotics, this competition aimed to advance robotics technology, activate entrepreneurial thinking, and foster international collaboration (Figure 1).