The “Jiuxiao Team”* from the Macao Polytechnic University (MPU) has been recommended to represent Macau at the upcoming ABU Robocon 2026 contest, becoming the city’s first robotics research team to compete in the event, according to a statement by the public university yesterday.
The statement said that the team was recommended by public broadcaster TDM to participate in the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Robot Contest (ABU Robocon 2026), which will be held in Hong Kong next month.
The statement added that the competition will bring together leading university robotics teams from across the Asia-Pacific region to compete while promoting technological innovation and exchanges.
According to the statement, the Jiuxiao Team comprises undergraduate students from the Computer Science and AI programmes under the Faculty of Applied Sciences. The team is supervised by lecturer Lyu Erli and Associate Prof. Wang Yapeng, the statement said, adding that the students were preparing for the competition by combining hardware design with AI technologies, including deep learning and reinforcement learning, developed through their coursework and research.
The team previously competed in the RoboMaster 2026 University League (Northeast Station) held in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, where it won second prize in the 3V3 Combat category for non-top-tier teams and third prize in the Infantry Combat event, the statement said, adding that it has also passed the mid-term evaluation for the bipedal robotic category of the National University Robot Contest and travelled to Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province earlier this month to compete.
The statement noted that the team will also undergo training at Shenzhen Polytechnic University ahead of ABU Robocon, adding that the contest is one of the most influential and largest-scale university student robotics competition platforms in the Asia-Pacific region.
As a member of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), TDM is authorised to nominate a local university team to represent the city at the international finals, the statement said, adding that the recommendation recognises the university’s research capabilities and talent development efforts.
The statement underlined that participation in the competition will strengthen technical exchanges with universities from other regions while showcasing Macau’s technological innovation on the international stage.
* “Jiuxiao” (九霄) is a poetic Chinese term that translates literally to the “Nine Heavens” or the “highest reaches of the sky”. In Chinese mythology and classical cosmology, the heavens were believed to consist of nine distinct vertical layers, with “Jiuxiao” being the ninth and highest level. When used as a name for a team, it carries powerful symbolic meaning: Aiming High & Ambition; Striving for Excellence. – Gemini
This undated handout photo provided by Macau Polytechnic University (MPU) yesterday shows the “Jiuxiao Team” and TDM representatives posing for a group photo at the TV station.
