The 3rd Suzhou Vocational College Students' Makeblock Contest took place at SIP Institute of Vocational Technology (SIP IVT) lately. A total of 20 teams consisting of students from 11 higher vocational colleges in Suzhou participated with their robots, and the team from Suzhou Vocational University (SZVU) won the outstanding award after fierce competition.

The competition, a local annual event initiated in 2016, is aimed at offering students in Suzhou-based higher vocational schools opportunities to showcase their creativity and DIY skills in electronics and robotics.

In the event, each team was required to make a robot within 42 hours using the parts and components provided by the organizing committee and then compete in robots' ball games.

"This year, we were required to build automated line-following robots that must be able to place bowling balls at designated places other than just rolling and throwing them to hit the targets. It was more difficult," said Wang Yunkai from the SZVU team that participated in last year's event.