Before you register
The answers teams actually ask, from the published FAQ and the 2026–27 rulebook. Nothing is tucked behind a click.
The Aerospace Robotics Competition (ARC) is a high school and middle school drone competition offered by the non-profit STEM-ED INC, in which student teams design, build, test and fly quadcopter drones (2026–27 rulebook, section 1).
The 2026–27 season is Mines & Skyscrapers: teams pilot drones into mine shafts to identify an assigned tool, then compete head to head to mine building materials and construct a free-standing skyscraper, with a technical presentation and an ethical presentation alongside (rulebook released October 3, 2026, sections 1.3 and 3).
The 2026–27 Aerospace Robotics Competition fee is $1,200 per team, due Friday, December 11, 2026 (rulebook section 2.3). Register the team on the registration page. Checks go to STEM-ED, Inc. at 574 Parish Blvd., Mary Esther, FL 32569.
The 2026–27 competition year introduces advanced and beginner divisions: teams choose a division one month before their regional competition, and a team with a high school member who has competed in ARC before is not eligible for the beginner division (rulebook section 2.4.2).
The 2026–27 competition is open to high school and middle school students; every team has a student captain, a pilot and a copilot (the captain may also fly), one to four recommended teammates, and an adult coach (rulebook section 2.2). The minimum team is two, a pilot and a co-pilot. Each team registers on its own, and a school may field more than one. Home-school students may form a team or join a high-school team.
For 2026–27 the rulebook recommends the AirXRP drone kit, the DEXI PX4 Development Kit (which needs team-designed legs), a prior-season ARC kit drone for returning teams, or a student-designed drone; the drone budget limit is $3,000 within a $3,600 total competition budget, the drone must fit a 36-inch cube, and propellers may not exceed 14 inches (sections 4.1.1, 4.1.5 and 4.1.6). Both lists are on the resources page.
The 2026–27 rulebook lets teams write the Color Recognition virtual task, a computer-vision program that identifies a red object, in Python or C++ (section 3.4); the code lab on the home page is a practice language that is not used on competition day.
The 2026–27 regional competitions are on Saturday, April 24, 2027, Saturday-only for regions with up to 18 teams and Friday through Saturday for regions with 19 to 30 teams; event schedules are published after registration closes and at least 7 days before the event (rulebook sections 1.1 and 2.3).
Each region invites its top 3 advanced-division teams and top 2 beginner-division teams to the 2026–27 ARC National Championship on May 21 and 22, 2027; invited teams must RSVP within 7 days and pay no extra registration fee (rulebook sections 1.1, 2.3 and 2.4.3).
In 2026–27 each region awards $2,500, $1,500 and $750 to its top three advanced-division teams and $750 and $500 to its top two beginner-division teams, and a team must take off and fly for more than 30 seconds to be prize-eligible; National Championship amounts are set in the National Championship rulebook (rulebook section 6).
You may travel to the region that is easiest to reach. The published FAQ asks you to email the region you designate to support@stemed.org. Students outside the United States may come and compete. STEM-ED does not run international regions, and points those students at the free online rulebook as a way to do the work anyway.
Yes. Entry starts at $500 and below. A full team registration is $2,000. Levels run through Platinum at $20,000 and above. Each level includes the benefits of the levels under it. Use the sponsor form to ask about a level, or the fundraiser for competition items.
