Robotics competition attracts 1,000 participants

About 1,000 young competitors from home and abroad competed in the 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition Shanghai Regional at East China Normal University over the weekend.

The three-day event brought together 43 teams from China and countries including the United States and Australia. Winning teams will advance to the world championship in Houston, Texas, next month.

The competition was organized by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization aiming to inspire young people's interest in science and technology. It's known for combining the rigor of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning with the fun and excitement of traditional sports.

Centering on a "Reefscape" theme, this year's competition challenged participants with simulated marine ecosystem restoration processes. Teams have to design and program robots to score artificial coral and harvest simulated algae.

"Teams from different countries have different technical styles, which opened up a new perspective for robot design to us," said Guo Xue, a member of the Violet Z 6940 team from Minhang Zizhu Branch of the No. 2 High School affiliated to East China Normal University.

When competing, participants were also encouraged to cooperate to earn additional rewards, with the concept of "coopertition," meaning teams could and should help and cooperate with one another even as they compete.

The Marina 7413 from California, US, expressed their thanks for Team 7002 from China's Shanxi Province for their help in providing them facilities that could not be brought to China on their flight. Coach Matt Lussier hailed the two teams as a paragon of friendship between Chinese and Americans.

Since its introduction to China in 2014, the FIRST Robotics Competition has become a popular arena for students aged 14-18 to compete and communicate with their peers from all over the world. It has grown so significantly in China that the country is now hosting the largest number of teams outside North America.

"Our organization is tasked with inspiring students. And we are hopeful that more students in Shanghai and around China will participate in robotics programs, not just for the more obvious thing of designing and building robots, but also to spark that desire to be leaders in any number of careers," said Chris Moore, CEO of FIRST.

"China represents a tremendous opportunity to engage more young people in STEM, and ultimately be tomorrow's problem solvers."

Qian Xuhong, president of East China Normal University and academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the competition was not just a contest of skills but also a platform for young people around the world to explore the future with their wisdom.