On the afternoon of December 6^th, 2021, USTB held a seminar for participants in the 2021 ABU Asia-Pacific Robot Contest (ABU ROBOCON) at the USTB School of Advanced Engineering. Prof. YU Chengwen, Vice Chancellor of USTB; Prof. YIN Zhaohua, Director at Department of Student Affairs and Office of the People’s Armed Forces; Mr. MENG Zhaolei, Director at Department of Asset Management; and leaders of other related units along with representatives of MEI Robot International Team Competition participated in the activities. The seminar was presided over by Mr. MA Cong, Chancellor at USTB School of Advanced Engineering.

The 20th China University Robot Competition (ROBOCON) was held in International Exhibition and Convention Center in Zoucheng, Shandong Province in late July, with a total of 79 schools participated in the competition. The MEI robotic team of USTB won the second place in the “Pitch-pot”(Throwing Arrows into Pots) competition, and therefore was qualified to represent China to participate in the 2021 ABU ROBOCON. After the national competition, the team never stopped working. After more than four months of intense preparation, the robot for the international competition has been assembled and tested, and is constantly debugging and optimizing. The MEI robotic team will leave for Jimo, Shandong province on December 8^th to participate in ABU ROBOCON 2021.Mr. WANG Xu, Director at the Robot Engineering Practice Base, introduced the basic information of the 2021 domestic and international competitions in the preparation for the competition. Members of MEI Robotic team displayed the robot pot-throwing action and reported related technical problems. Prof. YU Chengwen, the leaders of relevant departments of USTB and the participating teachers and students communicated with each other about the preparatory situation of the competition and conveyed warm support to the participating teachers and students.

At the seminar, Mr. ZHANG Xichen, the team leader of the Robot Engineering Practice Base, introduced the hard journey to overcome the pandemic with positive preparation. On behalf of the team, he extended his gratitude to USTB for the support of the MEI robotic team, and said that they will continue to make more progress in exploration of robot practice training scheme, integration of contest and teaching, and team building, etc.Team representatives from School of Mechanical Engineering, School of Automation & Electrical Engineering, School of Computer & Communication Engineer, School of Mathematics and Physics, and School of Advanced Engineering made speeches respectively, reporting the preparation situation, feelings of participating and suggestions for the future development of the robot team. Ms. FENG Xuetong, an undergraduate from School of Automation & Electrical Engineering, said the MEI robotic team is a place that dares to think and pursue dreams. She felt the glorious mission and great responsibility for representing USTB and China to participate in the international competition, and all the participants would do their best to win glory for USTB during the preparation and official competition.

In the speech and communication, the leaders of the relevant department of USTB affirmed the 20-year effort of the MEI robotic team and would support the construction and development of the robot team as always. They urged the participating teachers and students to calm down and actively prepare for the competition, so that they could play a brilliant game in the international competition.

In his speech, Prof. YU Chengwen affirmed the MEI robotic team's love and pursuit of the robot cause, the inheritance and promotion of tradition, and the display of the spirit of USTB in the new era from three aspects of ideal adherence, pursuing influence and spiritual inheritance. Prof. YU Chengwen hoped that the MEI robotic team would carry out good performance and achieve good results in the 2021 ABU ROBOCON.Finally, on behalf of USTB, Prof. YU Chengwen presented the USTB flag and new uniforms to the team members. What they received was trust and expectation, but also a responsibility and mission. Ready to start, the MEI robotic team will continue to forge ahead and win glory for USTB and China, beautifying the name card of the USTB 's scientific and technological innovation, and making the flag of USTB fly high in the international arena.