Young innovators gathered at the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition Shanghai Regional, held at East China Normal University last weekend, where nearly 1,000 participants from 50 teams worldwide competed in a dynamic showcase of engineering and teamwork.

Centred on the theme “Rebuilt”, the competition challenged students to reinterpret historical ideas through engineering design. Teams competed in qualification rounds before advancing to high-stakes elimination matches, with top performers earning a place at the global finals in Houston, USA this April.

In each match, alliances were required to complete a series of timed tasks, including collecting fuel, navigating obstacles and climbing towers. Matches began with a 20-second autonomous phase, followed by a driver-controlled period where precision and strategy played a decisive role.

Between rounds, teams returned to compact pit areas to fine-tune components, debug code and prepare for the next match. Organisers noted a strong increase in participation, with the number of Chinese teams rising by more than 20 percent compared with last year.