CUHK robotics team triumphs at ABU Robocon in third victory for Hong Kong
The CUHK robotics team triumphs at the ABU Robocon for the third time.
The CUHK robotics team representing Hong Kong won the championship at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union’s Asia-Pacific Robot Contest (ABU Robocon) 2024. The CUHK team was crowned champion after beating 12 teams from 11 countries and regions, including Chinese mainland, Japan, India, Malaysia and Vietnam. This marks their third championship title, following victories in 2019 and 2022, showcasing CUHK’s world-class excellence in robotics and innovative education on the global stage.
The ABU Robocon 2024 took place in August in Vietnam. Named ‘Wonder Seed’, the CUHK robotics team was comprised of 36 students from the Faculties of Engineering and Medicine. The team was selected to represent Hong Kong in the ABU Robocon after winning the Robocon 2024 Hong Kong Contest. Since the inception of ABU Robocon in 2002, CUHK robotics team has advanced to international finals seven times.
Themed ‘Harvest Day’ this year, the competition drew inspiration from the terraced fields of Vietnam. Participating teams were required to design and manufacture both manual and fully automated robots, as well as employ machine learning models to harvest rice. Despite intense competition, the CUHK team defeated other teams to claim victory.
The CUHK team leveraged computer vision and artificial intelligence this year, significantly boosting the precision and reliability of their robots. Team members swiftly collected and annotated over 10,000 photos on the day before the contest, refining the AI model for on-the-fly improvements to the automation algorithm.
The CUHK robotics team comprises students from the Faculties of Engineering and Medicine.
Prof. Hon Ki Tsang, CUHK’s Dean of Engineering, congratulated the team for its victory. ‘CUHK’s Faculty of Engineering consistently encourages students to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice settings. This year’s contest, with its focus on artificial intelligence, tested students’ abilities to coordinate robot applications. The CUHK students successfully stood out among the international academic elites, showcasing not only their commitment to academic excellence but also their capability to adapt to societal development. I take pride in their achievements and look forward to their continued pursuit of excellence and greater contributions to society.’
Prof. Philip Chiu, CUHK’s Dean of Medicine, said, ‘CUHK’s Faculty of Medicine encourages multi-disciplinary collaboration in medical education and research. Medical-engineering collaboration is playing a vital role in shaping the future of medical innovation and development. We have been working closely with the Faculty of Engineering to conduct medical robotics research. We encourage students to build up team spirit, seek innovation and breakthroughs in various academic and research fields, and leverage technological advancements for the betterment of humankind.’
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