On 26-27 April, the first phase of the 2018 “World Robotics Contest–Tri-Co Robots Challenge” sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) was held in Beijing. The first phase set up three independent events: tri-co robot simulation, robot innovation roadshow and the youth robotics creativity projects. The Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education, China) of Jilin University co-sponsored the contest of tri-co robot simulation. During the preparatory period, as the academic leader of bionic walking research filed, the Changjiang Chaired Professor Lei REN and the director of Jilin Bionic Technology Innovation Centre Professor Qian CONG had organized series of seminars to form the final contest programme and detailed rules. 

The simulation contest of “Tri-Co Robots Challenge”has attracted 27 representative delegations from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiao Tong University etc. Based on unified simulation environment, the contest mainly focused on the technologies related with perception, mobility, coordination and decision making of two-armed mobile robot in the five consecutive processes when entering the rescue site, carrying the target objects, recognizing and detouring around the obstacles, grasping and handling and returning to the safety area.

The deputy director of the NSFC, academician Xincheng XIE along with the experts from the Department of Engineering and Materials Science, NSFC watched the contest and provided related guidance; they affirm the organization of the competition and put forward valuable suggestions.

The Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering from Jilin University also teamed up to take part in other two contests. Among them, the Desert Elf Team led by Professor Rui ZHANG (Innovation Roadshow Group) got the guidance and affirmation from the experts. The youth creative group awarded the Most Potential Award to the Calf Run Team led by Associate Professor Weijun TIAN (Youth Creative Group).