The DJI RoboMaster 2019 High School Robot Summer Camp held a competition at Runyang Stadium at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) earlier this month. 12 high school teams fought over two days at the end of their summer camp, hosted by the School of System Design and Intelligent Manufacturing (SDIM) at SUSTech.

This is the first time DJI and SUSTech have worked together for this summer camp. Several departments at SUSTech offered their full support for the summer camp, which saw nearly 100 students from around mainland China and the world study for 21 days. Each team designed their own robot, with the two days of competition intended to test the designs. A group of Chinese students from Beijing, Chengdu and Shenzhen won the championships.

The DJI RoboMaster High School Robot Summer Camp is regarded as the top learning and research platform for high school robotics enthusiasts. With a focus on cultivating innovative thinking in students, RoboMaster has incorporated its own unique insights and innovations into its educational events.

Its collaboration with SDIM formed a practical teaching model based on independent research and competition, while integrating the “new engineering education” models of SDIM. The amalgamation of RoboMaster and SDIM resulted in a student-centered teaching model that created an environment that motivated the students to learn through self-guided curiousity. The model enhanced team work and student skills by taking an interdisciplinary approach to learning.

As part of the DJI RoboMaster 2019 High School Robot Summer Camp, DJI invited leaders from top engineering universities around the world to SUSTech, to take part in the “New Engineering Education Seminar,” hosted by SDIM. The seminar sought to link high school talents with STEM universities, while exploring industry-university research opportunities.

SDIM Dean Wu Jingshen said that DJI has formed a comprehensive new engineering talent training model with the cooperation of RoboMaster. As the chair of the New Engineering Education Seminar, he pointed out that the new engineering model is needed to systematically improve the existing higher education models in mainland China. Wu Jingshen said that universities should avoid “building cars behind closed doors” in new engineering education. He said that the students who attended the DJI RoboMaster 2019 High School Robot Summer Camp had strong engineering knowledge and would make excellent candidates for universities that taught under the new engineering education model.

DJI briefed the attendees about the operations of the summer camp, the development of training standards and the creation of a scientific evaluation system. Everyone agreed that a wide variety of skills were needed, including teamwork, creativity and independent learning.

DJI has held 7 summer and winter High School Robot Camps, developing talent training systems and working with universities to enhance the new standards of new disciplines. They have pushed for the integration of theoretical and practical literacy. The collaboration with DJI embodies the expectations and efforts with SDIM that promotes “new engineering education” for high school students, so they can lay a foundation for their futures.