Taiwan's Hiwin robot competition cultivates over 5,000 skilled workers

Taiwan is accelerating its cultivation of practical talent in intelligent manufacturing and robotics, driven by the global AI and robotics wave. Hiwin Technology's 18th "Hiwin Intelligent Robot Hand Practical Competition," held from August 19-22 at the Nangang Exhibition Center, has become a key platform for this initiative.

The competition attracted university and vocational students who competed in challenges ranging from intelligent handling and stacking to a unique "smart billiards" game. This hands-on approach allows students to directly apply their academic learning in a competitive environment. Over its 18-year history, the event has seen a cumulative total of 5,173 participants, consistently nurturing practical talent for Taiwan's intelligent manufacturing, automation, and robotics sectors.

This year's competition saw 41 teams, comprising 218 students, participate in the university "Application Group and Billiards Group," with nine teams and 30 individuals receiving awards. In the vocational group's "Intelligent Stacking and Smart Automation Creation" category, 78 teams with 390 participants competed, resulting in 42 teams and 140 individuals being recognized.

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do and innovate

Hiwin emphasizes the increasing industry demand for practical skills in areas like smart factories, semiconductor manufacturing, logistics, and humanoid robots. The competition provides students with a stage to "do and innovate," building technical prowess, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork experience. Since its inception in 2008, many alumni have entered the intelligent manufacturing and robotics fields.

Hiwin Technology Chairman Cho Wen-heng highlighted the "smart billiards" challenge, which featured a doubled table size, significantly increasing difficulty. He praised the students' adaptability and skill, noting the close competition that even led to overtime. He encouraged participants to continue gaining experience through competitions and exchanges to extend their practical skills into future careers.

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My Capybara is Spinning

Judges, including Professor Song Kai-tai from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, noted the "Special Jury Award" introduced in the 15th competition, which recognizes students with passion, good attitudes, and potential. He commended the "My Capybara is Spinning" team from Feng Chia University for their perseverance and willingness to help others, embodying the spirit of the competition. Song also suggested future teams focus on rapid calibration and intelligent algorithms.

Hiwin Executive Vice President Lin Ming-yao explained the "Intelligent Handling" challenge, designed around wafer transfer scenarios, tests students' integrated capabilities in end-effector design, precision positioning, safety, stability, and efficiency. He stated that ideal wafer transfer equipment should be imperceptible to the user, requiring robust design and process planning. He urged students to validate theories and gain practical experience through the competition.

Taiwan Association of Automation and Robotics Chairman Sze Kuo-yi underscored the importance of "Intelligent Stacking" in logistics and warehousing applications within the robotics industry. He praised Hiwin's long-term commitment to robotics education, including donating 105 robot arms worth over NT$40 million for educational use and collaborating with TAIROA to establish a new "Robotics Technology" category in the Ministry of Education's vocational skills competition.

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feel its existence