HKUST ROV Team Won World Championship Again in MATE International ROV Competition

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Bringing Awards Tally of HKUST Robotics Team Into the Hundreds

HKUST ROV Team Won World Championship Again in MATE International ROV Competition

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Prof. Tim WOO (first right, back row), HKUST ROV Team members, as well as organizers of the MATE International ROV Competition
Prof. Tim WOO (first right, back row), HKUST ROV Team members, as well as organizers of the MATE International ROV Competition [Download Photo]
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The HKUST Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Team was crowned the All-Around Champion and Engineering Presentation Champion in the MATE International ROV Competition 2019, which was held on June 20-22 in Kingsport, Tennessee, US. This marks the second time that the team receives all-around championship in this international competition since they first participated in 2011, after the first time in 2017. They are also the only Asian team so far that gained this top accolade in the 18-year history of this competition.

This year, 25 regional winning teams from Canada, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Macau, Mexico, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey, US and UK advanced to the international final. The HKUST ROV Team represented Hong Kong to take part in the final after winning their ninth consecutive championship in the Hong Kong regional contest in April. The team consists of 21 undergraduates who are mostly first and second year students. Team composition is highly diversified with members coming from seven parts of the world and studying various disciplines.

With the theme of “Innovations for Inshore: ROV Operations in Rivers, Lakes, and Dams”, the MATE International ROV Competition 2019 highlights the role that ROVs play in ensuring public safety, maintaining healthy waterways and preserving history. It challenges students to think as entrepreneurs and the teams compete not only for robot missions, but also for market display, presentation and technical report.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by the world championship again in the MATE International ROV Competition. The two awards - All-Around Champion and Engineering Presentation Champion – are especially meaningful to us as they are the 100th and 101st awards of the HKUST Robotics Team since the establishment of the team in 2003,” said Prof. Tim WOO, Director of the Center for Global & Community Engagement.

The ROV Team is one of the three sub-teams of the HKUST Robotics Team, together with the Robocon sub-team and Smart Car sub-team. The Robotics Team encouraged students to take part in various external robotics competition and they have made an impressive track record over the years. The team has been led by Prof. Woo since 2010 and it currently has around 80 students who come from a diverse range of educational and demographic backgrounds.

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