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The robotics team from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) representing Hong Kong won the championship at the recent Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union’s Asia-Pacific Robot Contest 2024 (ABU Robocon 2024). The CUHK team was crowned champion after beating 12 teams from 11 countries and regions, including mainland China, Japan, India, Malaysia and Vietnam. It was the third time the CUHK team has clinched the championship title, following its successes in 2019 and 2022. The team’s stellar performance is another testament to CUHK’s world-class excellence in robotics and innovative education on an international stage.

The ABU Robocon 2024 took place in Quang Ninh, Vietnam. The CUHK robotics team named “Wonder Seed”, comprised of 36 students from the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Medicine. The Team was selected to represent Hong Kong in the ABU Robocon after winning the Robocon 2024 Hong Kong Contest organised by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP). Since the inception of ABU Robocon in 2002, CUHK robotics team has advanced to international finals seven times (2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024). In 2019, they made history as the first Hong Kong team to win the championship, following that up with another victory in 2022.

The theme of this year’s competition, “Harvest Day”, 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 complete the task of harvesting rice. Despite intense competition, the CUHK team defeated other excellent teams to claim the win.

Professor Tsang Hon-ki, CUHK’s Dean of Engineering, congratulated the team for their victory and said: “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 team 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.”

Professor Philip Chiu Wai-yan, 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. My hearty congratulations to the CUHK medicine and engineering team for their impressive results in the contest. 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.”

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. This data was promptly utilised to refine the AI model, providing on-the-fly improvements to the automation algorithm. Mr Billy Yip Chun-wa, the team leader and alumnus of CUHK’s Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, brought a wealth of experience to his seventh captaincy at ABU Robocon this year. He attributed the victory to their unity and efforts in overcoming various challenges. He said: “The theme of the contest presented exceptional challenges, with intense competition from other teams. Thanks to the CUHK team’s years of technical inheritance and experience sharing, coupled with our collective efforts, we strived to do our best in every detail. We consistently delivered our best and stable performance, earning us the Grand Prix this year.”

Mr Albert Wong, CEO of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, congratulated the champion team on their exceptional performance, which showcased the limitless possibilities of Hong Kong’s young generation in the I&T sector. “The CUHK robotics team brought honour to Hong Kong on the international stage with their outstanding robotics technology and strategy,” he said. “HKSTP is committed to promoting the city’s I&T development and nurturing talent. We will continue to provide more opportunities and support for the next generation through a series of talent initiatives, helping them unleash their potential and strengthening Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem together.”

As a member of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, RTHK extended its congratulations to the CUHK robotics team. Mr Ricky Lee, Controller (TV) of RTHK, said: “Once again, in this competition, Hong Kong’s youth demonstrated immense potential in advanced technologies. RTHK and HKSTP earlier successfully bid to host this international event in 2026, when teams from all over the Asia Pacific region will gather in Hong Kong to compete. It will help inspire the next generation of I&T talent, local and overseas, to fulfil their AI ambitions in Hong Kong, and boost the city’s standing as a hub for world-class AI and broader I&T development. In addition, RTHK’s production team recorded highlights of this year’s competition, which will be aired on RTHK TV31 in September.”

ABU Robocon is an international competition organised by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. The purpose is to facilitate the exchange of engineering and computer technology experiences and skills among the youth in the Asia-Pacific region, and improve skills through competition. Robocon Hong Kong contest is organised by the HKSTP, with RTHK as the collaborative advisor. The winner of the Hong Kong contest will represent Hong Kong in ABU Robocon.