A New Era for Vietnam’s Robothon Legacy
The AIROC 2026 international robotics competition has officially launched in Hanoi, Vietnam. The event establishes a new platform for students aged 6 to 18 to engage with artificial intelligence, IoT, and digital twin technologies. Organized to evolve the 19-year legacy of the Robothon series, the competition challenges participants to solve real-world problems through robotics and programming.
Simulating the Demands of “Synapse City”
This year’s competition, themed "Synapse City," tasks students with simulating a smart city environment. Teams must program robots to execute three primary functions: identifying contaminated zones, transporting neutralization blocks to processing sites, and retrieving contaminated blocks for laboratory analysis.
The competition is divided into four age-based levels. Depending on their category, teams utilize either standard or advanced Leanbot hardware, programming their robots using Blockly, Python, or C++. By integrating physical robotics with simulation environments, students can test and optimize their algorithms before deploying them to physical models, providing a practical introduction to industrial automation and smart city infrastructure.
The Road to the International Grand Finals
Registration for the competition is open from July and will continue through September 30. Following the registration period, regional qualifiers will determine which teams advance to the next stage:
- Northern Region Finals: October 17–18
- Southern Region Finals: October 24–25
- International Grand Finals: November 29, in Hanoi
The winning teams from each category will receive a prize of 20 million VND, a trophy, and a gold medal. Most significantly, these top-performing teams will secure their position as representatives for Vietnam in the international final stage.
Bridging Digital Literacy and Real-World Application
Officials stated that the program is designed to foster adaptability, creativity, and technical proficiency in the digital age.
By participating in AIROC 2026, students gain access to a robotics ecosystem that emphasizes collaborative problem-solving. The competition aims to foster creative thinking, programming ability, problem-solving skills, and teamwork.