In mid-June, 21 international teams – more than ever before – took part in the European Land Robot Trial (ELROB) at the Thun military training area in Switzerland. Under realistic conditions, they tested their unmanned ground systems in scenarios such as reconnaissance, convoy operations and supporting transport ("mule"). The five-day event highlighted two key points: the technology has made significant progress, yet at the same time there are still considerable capability gaps. This year’s focus was primarily on navigation and autonomy.