Bank of China (Hong Kong) Funded HKUST to Organize The Third Robot Explorer Cup to Promote STEAM Education

Continuing from its yearly success, The Third Robot Explorer Cup, organized by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and funded by Bank of China (Hong Kong) (“BOCHK”), provided an opportunity for 171 students and teachers from 19 primary and secondary schools to collaborate with their peers in constructing robots and expand their understanding of engineering. The months-long program concluded with an award presentation ceremony on May 5, 2024 at the Lam Woo Lecture Theater (LT-B) in HKUST, where the winners were officially announced.

In his opening remarks at the award presentation ceremony, Dean of Engineering Prof. Hong K. LO said, “The future of the world is guarded by science and technology, and we need challenge-takers to solve the crisis. The Third Robot Explorer Cup mimicked a potential catastrophe and provided a phenomenal chance for students to experience robot design and creation. We desperately need STEAM creators, and here we are excited to see students arise as future scientists and engineers to nurture a better world.”

Prof. Tim WOO, Director of Center for Global & Community Engagement, said, “The competition provides a chance for students to learn about robots through teamwork. The program’s objective extended beyond merely achieving the championship title. Through collaborative efforts and acknowledging the contributions of all participants in the workshops and competition, students had the opportunity to cultivate empathy for others.”

Ms. Angel YIP, Deputy General Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility Office, BOCHK, said “On behalf of BOCHK, I would like to thank the HKUST for organizing such a meaningful program to provide collaborative learning experiences for young people of different abilities and backgrounds, allowing young participants to exchange experiences with each other in the competition, as well as arousing the youth's interest in science and improving their technological qualities.”

Commencing in December 2023, this program is specifically designed for educators and students in primary and secondary schools who share a deep enthusiasm for STEAM education. By offering collaborative learning opportunities to students, the program seeks to ignite their curiosity in science, mathematics, and engineering while also nurturing their empathy for others.

The theme of this year is inspired by energy sustainability, where participants are required to collect and place colored elements into respective energy cells with their customized robots. This year also introduced two categories in the contests: The Pioneer and The Front-runner, each with different game rules and robot tasks. Such division aims to provide students with a choice of the robots to create foster challenges, and ensure fairness in games.

Over the course of the program, students engaged in a sequence of online workshops where they learned about programming, 3D printing, and constructing their own robots. In March, they furthered their learning experience by attending a boot camp at the HKUST campus, where they had the opportunity to showcase and assess their robots’ functionality. Finally, the competition days arrived on May 4-5, during which students put their robots to the ultimate challenge, striving to accomplish diverse missions on the designated game field.

Overall, students were enthusiastic about collaborating with their peers and engaging in the process of constructing, assembling, troubleshooting, as well as operating a robot. Teachers acknowledged the competition as a valuable avenue for students to enhance their understanding of engineering, foster critical thinking, and nurture their creativity.

Apart from benefiting the participants, the program also generated educational and leadership opportunities for HKUST students to make meaningful contributions to the community. A team of 30 undergraduate students from diverse academic backgrounds and disciplines took on various responsibilities, including designing games, building demo robots and game fields, hosting online workshops and the boot camp, and acting as competition judges.
 

List of winners:

The Pioneer category

Champion: C.C.C. Chuen Yuen First Primary School

First Runner-up: TWGHs Yau Tze Tin Memorial College

Second Runner-up: Cheung Chuk Shan College

Best Engineering Award: C.C.C. Chuen Yuen First Primary School

Best Team Spirit Award: Lok Sin Tong Lau Tak Primary School
 

The Front-runner category

Champion: Cheung Chuk Shan College

First Runner-up: Pok Oi Hospital Chan Kai Memorial College

Second Runner-up: Po Leung Kuk Ngan Po Ling College

Best Engineering Award: Po Leung Kuk Ngan Po Ling College

Best Team Spirit Award: Diocesan Girls’ Junior School
 

Annex: Full list of winners

Video: Highlight of the Third Robot Explorer Cup - Competition