Micromouse robotics contest spotlights China's tech training

About 180 participants from more than 50 teams from home and abroad took part in a major robotics contest in Tianjin on Wednesday, with many students showcasing the latest skills and knowledge they learned from Chinese technical workshops.

The international micromouse competition, which tests miniature autonomous robotic devices built by contestants racing to map out and complete a maze, involved students from countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan and Cambodia joining Chinese competitors from schools and universities nationwide, according to organizers of the event at the Tianjin Bohai Vocational Technical College.

The contest, which covers some of the latest technology in fields ranging from artificial intelligence to motion sensing, was also a highlight for the foreign students studying under the major Luban Workshop skills training program involving Chinese educational and training institutions.

The event offers an important platform for the professional development of students and it also fuels exploration and innovation in the field, among other benefits, said Wang Yilong, Party secretary of the Tianjin Bohai Vocational Technical College.

Cambodian student Sok Srey Ty, 21, who spent about a month preparing for the contest under the training workshop, said programming the robotic devices proved to be one of the most challenging aspects of the event.

"My Chinese instructors were really helpful. Learning the Chinese language and culture as part of the training also made the experience very enriching," she said.

The contest saw Chinese teams from universities in Beijing and Tianjin taking top honors, with Japanese robotics researchers and specialists also sharing their insights with students.