The University of Toronto Robotics Association (UTRA) was founded in 2004 by four engineering students inspired by the thrill of BattleBots. Starting with Combat Robotics, UTRA quickly made a name for itself by competing in international competitions like RoboGames, where the team earned several gold and bronze medals. These early successes laid the foundation for a club driven by innovation and teamwork.

Over the years, UTRA expanded beyond Combat Robotics to tackle diverse challenges in robotics. The club launched projects like RoboSoccer and the Autonomous Rover Team (ART), which built fully functional autonomous rovers and competed internationally. UTRA also embraced cutting-edge technologies, founding the Fabrication (now Infrastructure) team in 2010 to explore 3D printing and manufacturing innovations.

UTRA continues to grow and evolve, adding new teams and initiatives. In 2016, we launched Robonars (short for Robotics Seminars), offering hands-on robotics workshops to UofT students. That same spirit of innovation led to the creation of UTRAHacks, now recognized by university students across Canada as a premier hardware hackathon. Our RoboSoccer team gained acclaim as the only Canadian team to qualify for the prestigious RoboCup competition in both 2018 and 2019, while the 6ix-Pac team, founded in 2018, brought robotics to life by recreating the classic arcade game Pac-Man.

Today, UTRA comprises five robotics subteams, each driving innovation through cutting-edge projects, international competitions, and active community engagement. Alongside these teams, we host UTRAHacks annually, and run regular Robonars workshops to share robotics knowledge and skills. Backed by dedicated student leadership, strong faculty support, and valuable industry partnerships, UTRA continues to lead the charge in robotics innovation at U of T and beyond.