Team Hong Kong Secures 1st Runner-Up at ABU Robocon 2025

The Asia-Pacific Robot Contest 2025 (ABU Robocon 2025) successfully wrapped up in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on August 24, bringing together top university robotics teams from across Asia-Pacific. Representing Hong Kong, the HKU Robocon team from the Faculty of Engineering at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) competed against 13 teams from countries including Japan, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam. After a series of intense matches, Team Hong Kong clinched the 1st Runner-Up title, marking an inspiring achievement and international recognition for their engineering excellence.

About ABU Robocon

The ABU Robocon is a prestigious international robotics competition designed to encourage innovation, collaboration, and the exchange of knowledge in engineering and computer technology. It provides a platform for students to enhance their technical skills through hands-on challenges that demand creativity, precision, and teamwork.

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Hong Kong to Host ABU Robocon 2026

Following the team’s outstanding success, Hong Kong has also secured the honor of hosting ABU Robocon 2026, co-organized by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK).

At the official handover ceremony, Henry Fong, Assistant Director of Partnerships at HKSTP, and Ricky Lee, Controller (TV) at RTHK, announced the upcoming contest theme – “Martial Arts”. This theme will combine traditional Chinese culture with cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI), encouraging participants to develop innovative robotics applications inspired by martial arts movements and philosophy.

Highlights of ABU Robocon 2025

The 2025 competition adopted the theme “Robot Basketball”, inspired by Mongolia’s popular national sport. Competing teams engineered basketball-playing robots capable of dribbling, passing, and shooting within strict time limits. The HKU Robocon Virtus Team, made up of 31 engineering and science students, showcased remarkable technical expertise and teamwork to earn their place as 1st Runner-Up.

Key innovations from the HKU robots included:

• A long pneumatic cylinder design, improving dribbling precision.

• An advanced lift mechanism, enabling fast and accurate shooting.

Ka Tsun Mak, team captain and Year-4 Mechanical Engineering student, praised his teammates:

“This success is the result of relentless dedication and teamwork. With the support of HKU’s Faculty of Engineering and Tam Wing Fan Innovation Wing, we were able to deliver an outstanding performance on the international stage.”

Professor David Srolovitz, Dean of HKU Engineering, also commended the team:

“Our students’ achievement is proof of their creativity, technical mastery, and collaborative spirit. I am incredibly proud of their ability to integrate AI, robotics, and engineering design to solve real-world challenges.”

Voices from the Organizers

Eric Or, Acting Chief Corporate Development Officer at HKSTP, congratulated the HKU team, stating:

“HKSTP is committed to nurturing global innovation and technology (I&T) talent by providing world-class infrastructure and strong support systems. Hosting ABU Robocon 2026 will bring international talent to Hong Kong, creating new synergies with local students and showcasing the strength of our I&T ecosystem.”

Ricky Lee from RTHK added:

“Martial arts is deeply rooted in both Chinese heritage and Hong Kong culture. After 14 years, we are honored to host ABU Robocon again. This event will inspire collaboration, spark innovation, and highlight Hong Kong’s growing role in AI and robotics development.”