In Focus - Issue 23 (Spring 2013)

Fun and enterprise The award-winning HKUST Robotics Team draws st departments across the School to design di erent t competitions. Five members describe how team me Chun Yin Leung - Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College - BEng in Computer Science 2011 - MPhil student, Electronic and Computer Engineering Jack As leader of the Robocon team taking part in the 2012 local and regional contests, Jackie was able to employ her passion and vision as well as strengthen her analytical skills. Indeed, one of t outstanding memories of taking part in such contests is the stro emotion – sometimes even tears – that team members experien following a victory, she said. “If you watch it on the television, you won’t share the same feeling. Only when you are one of the participants can you understand the excitement, after one year’ hard work.” In guiding the team ahead, Jackie expected members to learn h to present ideas and make convincing arguments, just as engine would. Discussions not only embraced robotics but virtually anything. She also improved her decision-making capabilities a she had to compare the pros and cons of di erent ideas, not sim follow others as in the past. Now, even though she has graduated, Jackie continues to advis and support the HKUST Robotics Team. Leadership and vision Since joining the HKUST Robotics Team impressed by the tremendous support and cohesion within the team. He has f only a group project, it is similar to a fa atmosphere creates higher morale and In this family, where everyone has di e ways of thinking, Eric has learned to be and look at issues from other perspectiv “keeping it fun” is as important as work After doing well in robotics competitio Eric and teammates Henry and Tak (bo also featured here) decided to try using robotic knowledge to devise a business “ It was time to go to the next stage, ” he They went on to compete in two contests, receiving the First Runn placeandtheHongKongTechnopreneurAwardattheHSBCYDCY Entrepreneur Challenge 2012, and gaining the Lenovo Innovatio Award and a place in the nals of the 1st Asia Innovation Forum Over 315 teams took part in the rst contest and more than 235 t in the second. The students’ business idea focused on a robot for underwater research, monitoring and investigations. To prepare for the busi plan contests, they attended enrichment talks and entrepreneu workshops organized by HKUST. Now their dream is to realize th plan, Eric said. Young Engineers 9 IN FOCUS

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