On the afternoon of May 30, 2025, the Final Round of the 6th Robocar Innovation Contest 2025, with the theme “VKU – Reaching Global Heights”, was successfully held at Vietnam – Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU), The University of Danang. This is an annual robot innovation competition for students in Information Technology, Computer Engineering, and Electronics from universities in the Central – Central Highlands region and across Vietnam. The contest has been organized since 2018.

The Organizing Committee, Judges, and representatives of the 16 finalist teams took a memorable group photo

Attending the final round were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap – Rector and Head of the Competition Steering Committee; Dr. Huynh Ngoc Tho – Vice Rector and Head of the Organizing Committee; Dr. Nguyen Quang Vu – Head of Academic Affairs Department and Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee; representatives from sponsoring companies: AGEST and Kim Anh Computer; leaders of VKU departments; members of the 16 finalist teams; and more than 400 students.

Dr. Huynh Ngoc Tho, Vice Rector and Head of the Organizing Committee, delivered the opening speech

In his opening speech, Dr. Huynh Ngoc Tho – Vice Rector and Head of the Organizing Committee – congratulated the 16 excellent teams that made it to the final round, promising an exciting and intense competition. The Robocar Innovation Competition, organized annually by VKU, has become a meaningful and valuable technology playground for students in Information Technology, Computer Engineering, and Electronics from the Central – Central Highlands region. The competition is not only a place for students to showcase their creativity and technical thinking, but also a dynamic environment for practicing and applying academic knowledge to real-life situations. Through the competition, students have the opportunity to explore modern technology trends, including automation, artificial intelligence, and embedded control systems. This helps them develop an innovative mindset, take control of technology, and shape a clear career direction in the digital age. VKU hopes that Robocar will serve as a launching pad to ignite students’ passion for research, creativity, and tech entrepreneurship, thereby contributing to the training of high-quality human resources that meet national development and international integration goals.

The Robocar Innovation Competition has been held annually since 2018. It is a practical and intellectual playground aimed at encouraging creativity, knowledge exchange, and the development of technological ideas among students, starting from their first year. The competition allows students to apply their knowledge in Information Technology and Electronics through hands-on experience with components such as Arduino Uno R3, STM32, L298N motor drivers, HC06 Bluetooth modules, RF control modules, TCRT5000 line tracking sensors, and more. Students also practice embedded programming using advanced programming languages, control engineering techniques, PID algorithms, and other cutting-edge technologies.

Robocar 2025 was launched and open for registration from March 2 to March 20, 2025, and was held in three stages: two preliminary rounds and a final round. In the preliminary stage (from March 20 to April 20, 2025), the competition attracted 140 teams with a total of 945 students. After the first round, 60 teams were selected, and from the second round, the 16 best teams advanced to the final round. During this process, teams were required to complete a media round, where they introduced the development journey of their Robocar projects. They also continued to improve their designs to meet strict technical requirements: ensuring full functionality, minimizing air resistance, upgrading motor performance, and enhancing obstacle-passing ability while optimizing energy efficiency. The self-driving robots used line-tracking algorithms and balancing control algorithms to maintain high-speed, stable operation even under changing environmental conditions.

All competing vehicles in the Robocar 2025 final round 

In the final round of Robocar 2025, each team was required to design and build two types of vehicles: a Racing Car (manually controlled) and an Autonomous Car (self-driving). These vehicles competed in a relay race format with two stages. This unique competition structure is a highlight of Robocar 2025, as it demands smooth coordination between two types of robots – each with different functions and strategies – but working toward the same goal: to complete the track as quickly and accurately as possible.

In the first stage of the race, the Racing Car was remotely controlled by team members via radio frequency (RF) or Wi-Fi. The car had to complete several tasks, such as overcoming obstacles, grabbing and transporting balls, and shooting the balls at three target boards representing the letters “V-K-U.” The vehicle was equipped with a flexible robotic arm capable of adjusting direction, speed, and acceleration, and performing complex movements with high precision.

Next, the Autonomous Car was activated and operated automatically based on pre-programmed control algorithms. The car was capable of line tracking, balancing, and climbing steps between 8–12 cm in height. It also had to stop precisely at designated locations to receive or transfer the ball. The navigation system used a combination of infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, encoders, and other components to ensure stable operation, even under changing environmental conditions.

The Robocars built by the teams were made from common materials such as mica, aluminum, and foam, featuring creative and flexible designs to ensure agility and optimized performance during the competition. For control systems, teams used various microcontrollers, including AVR, STM32, Arduino, and ESP32, and programmed them in multiple languages such as Keil C, Assembly, Arduino C, and Python. These were used to process sensor data, implement balancing and navigation algorithms, and coordinate strategies between the two vehicles. Each match featured two teams competing head-to-head, with a maximum time limit of 7 minutes. The team that completed all tasks and crossed the finish line first was declared the winner. This was a comprehensive challenge that tested technical skills, strategic thinking, and teamwork, clearly showcasing the creativity and real-world application abilities of students in the field of technology.

First, second, third, and consolation prizes were awarded to the best-performing teams

At the final round, to ensure fairness and objectivity, the judging panel consisted of experienced lecturers in control and automation fields, as well as experts from industry partners. After an intense and exciting competition, the Organizing Committee awarded 1 First Prize to team EDL; 1 Second Prize to team VIRUS; 2 Third Prizes to teams ROBORTECH and RIO; and 12 Consolation Prizes to the remaining teams. The total prize money amounted to nearly 50 million VND.

The 6th Robocar Innovation Competition 2025, themed “VKU – Reaching Global Heights”, concluded with great success. It was not only an exciting intellectual playground but also a gathering place for the passion, courage, and aspiration of students to master technology. Through intense head-to-head matches, the teams demonstrated their skills in designing, programming, and controlling intelligent robots, effectively applying their specialized knowledge in practice. The competition further affirmed VKU’s pioneering role in creating a practical learning environment, promoting innovation, and contributing to training high-quality human resources to meet the demands of digital transformation and international integration. Robocar is more than just a competition – it is a journey that inspires the young inventors of Vietnam’s future. See you again at Robocar 2026, where the spirit of technology continues to spread!

Center for Learning Resource and Communication

List of Awards at the 6th Robocar Innovation Competition 2025 – Theme: “VKU – Reaching Global Heights”

* First Prize – Prize money: 8,000,000 VND

Team EDL – students: Nguyen Dinh Truong (23AI052), Ha Nhat Minh (23NS060), Tran Thi Thuy Linh (23AI027), Bui Chan An (23AI001), Nguyen Vinh Sanh (23AI043), Nguyen Viet Dong Duong (23IT041), Thai Thanh Trung (23AI051).

* Second Prize – Prize money: 5,000,000 VND

Team VIRUS – students: Hoang Van Khanh (23NS045), Nguyen Van Trieu (23IT286), Doan Quang Tuan An (223IT002), Le Thanh Vu (23IT316), Nguyen Ba Thien (23IT.B210), Tao Nguyen Phong (23IT210), Nguyen Phuc Truong (23IT290), Nguyen Ngoc Anh Thu (23IT270).

* Third Prize – Prize money: 3,000,000 VND

Team ROBORTECH – students: Nguyen Minh Anh Tu (23CE085), Doan Phu Hai (23CE021), Nguy Quoc Trung (23CE.B026), Pham Cong Duy (23CE.B006), Truong Van Hieu (23CE.B010), Doan Trong My (23CE045), Huynh Quoc Luu (23CE.B014).

* Third Prize – Prize money: 3,000,000 VND

Team RIO – students: Huynh Ngoc Khanh (22IT138), Ngo Van Nhan (22IT201), Ngo Van Duc Nhien (22IT211), Nguyen Van Tien (22IT299), Le Trong Tin (22IT300), Vo Thien (22IT278).

* Consolation Prize – Prize money: 1,000,000 VND per prize
12 teams including: Robo trai cay, Xe em hoi lag, Pro Noname, Vi ca map, HOTP, Cowminators, Lucky, Alpha, Enchantix, DriverX, Capybaras, VTV-CK.

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