Nearly 500 contestants from 61 teams from the universities, junior colleges, middle schools, and elementary schools in Taiwan gathered at Cheng Shiu University to participate in the “19th Industrial Robotics Competition 2024.” The scene’s atmosphere was warm and inviting as contestants were seen cheering for one another. President Jui-Chang Kung said that the industrial robotics competition has been held for nearly 20 years, and each session is grander than the previous one in implementing the root of robotics education to cultivate the required industry talents.

The “19th Industrial Robotics Competition 2024” competition items organized by the Taiwan Robotics Association and co-organized by Cheng Shiu University included the six-axis robotic arm, maze robot smart handling, unmanned vehicle racing, autonomous mobile robots, self-driving vehicle racing, etc. The participants were students from elementary and middle schools and those pursuing a master’s degree from the universities.

This competition integrated technological and industry needs into the competition activities. It provided a stage to guide research on AI, industrial robots, unmanned vehicles, self-driving vehicles, autonomous mobile logistics vehicles, and self-built maze robot technology challenges to connect with industrial technology.

Jui-Chang Kung, accompanied by Jeng-nan Li, head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Chin-Yu Wang, a teacher, visited each competition venue to learn more about robotics competitions. The “AI 6-axis Robotic Arm Competition” primarily combined APP interface control, enjoyment, and sportsmanship to complete the tasks and inspire students to learn about robot programming. The robot activated the robotic arm to pick up an object and place it forward onto a fixed point. Once deviated from the path along the way, the robot could get back on the right track only after being guided by the controller.

The “Maze Robot Smart Handling” was an all-directional mobile logistics in a limited operating environment. Through the competition, contestants could learn about optimized path planning, AI programming, and algorithmic software and hardware practices.

Self-driving and unmanned vehicle technology will be the future trend. “Unmanned Vehicle Racing” primarily used visual sensors to recognize the track so the vehicle can drive smoothly. It added obstacles to the track to test the robot’s ability to identify different obstacles and levels.

The “Self-Driving Vehicle Racing” involved a three-dimensional racetrack where students experienced self-driving unmanned vehicle technology by creating robotic structures using building blocks, a fun way to inspire students to learn independently.