Team ‘REAI CMU: Mahout’ from the Department of Robotics, Engineering, and Artificial Intelligence at the Faculty of Engineering were crowned champions of the Thailand Robot Contest 2023 by the Technology Promotion Association (TPA) held this past June 10 – 11, 2023 at Zeer Rangsit, winning a trophy from HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. This year’s theme was ‘Raining Flowers Over Angkor Wat’.

Held continuously since 1993, Thailand’s most longstanding robot competition adopts the same set of rules as the ABU Asia-Pacific Robot Contest. This year, the winning team will represent Thailand at the ABU Contest 2023 to be held in Cambodia, home to the famous Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is a magnificent spectacle.
In Cambodian fables where the main characters are animals, rabbits often symbolize intelligence, whereas elephants represent strength and civility. This year’s theme ‘Raining Flowers Over Angkor Wat’ involves a collaborative ring toss between a rabbit and an elephant robot using red and blue rings made from rubber tubes that symbolize flowers. Each team has to use their two robots, a rabbit and an elephant, to toss the rings of their team’s color to all 11 poles in the arena.

The Department of Robotics Engineering and Artificial Intelligence focuses on the integration of mechanical, electrical, computer, and industrial skills that will allow for flexible and fun applications, solving real-world problems. Therefore, this competition was a golden opportunity for the Department to allow students to showcase their skills. Thanks to their brilliance and hard work, as well as the guidance of their mentors, they won and will have a chance to represent their home country on the international stage.