Recently, the offline national finals of the Robot Competition (Combat) category of the 28th China Robot and Artificial Intelligence Competition were held in Hefei. Two teams from the Mechatronics Engineering Technology program of the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at Shenzhen Polytechnic University (SZPU) won First and Second Prizes, respectively, achieving the university’s best-ever results in the competition.

Following rigorous selection through provincial qualifying rounds, 90 teams from across China advanced to the national competition. After a comprehensive online defense and assessment, only 40 teams qualified for the offline finals, making the competition highly competitive. Both SZPU teams successfully secured places in the national finals. Throughout the competition, the team members remained composed under pressure, while their independently designed and developed combat robots delivered consistent performance. Both teams advanced to the national Top 16. The “Xuanming-Qiongqi” team overcame one challenge after another to finish second in the offline combat event and, with its strong overall score, claimed the overall championship. Ultimately, the two SZPU teams won First and Second Prizes, respectively.

Combat robots serve as a core practical teaching platform in the first semester of the Mechatronics Engineering Technology program. The course integrates key areas of professional knowledge, including mechanical design, metalworking, and system commissioning. The program has continuously advanced an integrated “learning-through-competition” approach, incorporating competition judging criteria and technical requirements into routine practical training. Students are guided to engage in the entire process—from conceptualizing and structurally designing robots to fabrication, testing, and actual competition—thereby strengthening their ability to tackle complex engineering problems through hands-on practice and training.

The outstanding results achieved in this competition represent a landmark achievement in the School’s ongoing efforts to deepen reform of practical education in undergraduate vocational programs and implement its integrated “learning-through-competition” approach. Moving forward, the School will continue to refine its progressive, tiered practical education system, steadily enhance students’ engineering practice and technological innovation capabilities, and cultivate highly skilled professionals equipped to meet the needs of advanced intelligent manufacturing industries.

(School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering | Zhao Wei)