The national broadcaster Vietnam Television (VTV) held a press brief on Tuesday to launch the Vietnam Robot Contest (Robocon) 2018, aimed at promoting engineering and technologies among youngsters.

VTV Deputy General Director cum Head of the Viet Nam Robocon Organising Board Dinh Dac Vinh speaks at the press conference. (Credit: NDO)

According to the organisers, the robot creation contest has been held in Viet Nam over the last 17 years by VTV and has attracted a large number of technical students from universities and technical schools nationwide. In 2018, the broadcasting agency will launch the 17^th Vietnam Robocon Competition to select the top 2 teams to participate in the ABU Asia-Pacific Robot Contest (ABU Robocon) 2018.

Viet Nam is also the host country for this year’s ABU Robocon. The contest’s theme comes from a folk game in the ethnic regions of the country, namely ‘ném còn’ (shuttlecock throwing). The goal of the game is to throw the shuttlecocks through an elevated ring. It is played during celebration and to pray for good luck and make friendships.

Mr Dinh Dac Vinh, VTV Deputy General Director cum Head of the Viet Nam Robocon Organising Board, said that not only is it a meaningful game, con throwing has developed into an attractive sport in Viet Nam. In that spirit, the organisers wish that the participating teams would create their robots with technique, accuracy, ingenuity and unique designs to join the games.

Viet Nam’s Lac Hong University, the winner of last year’s ABU Robocon in Japan. (Photo by Cong Nghia)

In addition to Vietnamese cultural characteristics, this year’s ABU Robocon also bears new features compared to regulations in previous years as robots simulate the con throwing motions.

The Viet Nam Robocon preliminary round will be held separately in the northern region from 2-6 April and the southern region from 7-8 April. The final round is scheduled for Vinh Phuc Province from 8-13 May.

Meanwhile, ABU Robocon 2018 will take place on 26 August in Ninh Binh Province. This is also the 3^rd year that Viet Nam has hosted the regional robot competition, after 2007 and 2013. The programme will be broadcast on 18 TV stations under the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU).

Viet Nam has also claimed the top position 6 times at the annual handmade robot contest. Lac Hong University was the winner of last year’s event in Japan last August. On the occasion, VTV was officially handed the right to host the 2018 competition.

(Source: NDO)