- Focus on the deep integration of cutting-edge technologies and application scenarios to help cultivate interdisciplinary talents
- Encourage contestants to innovate for future research and career development around the four topics addressing the urgent industry needs
- Support the development of smart manufacturing and new quality productive forces through technology innovation
2024 ABB Cup Innovation Contest, co-hosted by ABB and Chinese Association of Automation (CAA), today is launched in China, with a focus on such key smart manufacturing technologies as AI, digital twin, data modeling and human-machine interaction. Themed "Intelligent Technologies for the Future", the contest this year involves four parallel topics for contestants to explore and solve by self-learning, technology analysis, integration of interdisciplinary approaches.
"This year's contest closely follows the technology trends to design the challenges and build an open platform for young talents to practice the use of new technologies in real application scenes and specific industrial cases with a great deal of imagination and innovative thinking, apply what they have learned to solving problems, and build a solid foundation for the future employment prospects in the context of Sci-tech revolution and industrial development." Said Dr. Chunyuan Gu, Chairman of ABB China.
“China is implementing the strategy on developing a quality workforce with innovative talents, excellent engineers and highly skilled personnel. In line with this strategy, CAA and ABB are jointly holding this student contest to inspire innovative thinking among young talents, enhance their interdisciplinary competencies to solve real-world problems, and cultivate engineers of the future that fit into the quality development of industries.” Said Dr. Zhang Nan, Secretary-general of CAA.
ABB invites students from universities and vocational schools in China including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan as well as Chinese students studying abroad to join the contest in teams or individually. The contestants may pick one or two from the four parallel challenge topics for innovating and designing their proposals in the coming months:
Challenge I: AI application based on B&R’s Enhanced Crossover Operating System
The IT/OT convergence represents a key trend of smart manufacturing, and one of the examples is to incorporate open-source Linux software into industrial control systems. Participants in this competition need to use AI algorithm for image processing under Linux environment, divide the given image into several blocks in different colors, sizes and shapes, and then design the optimal path for building blocks, and finally realize the motion control based on B&R Automation Studio software to assemble the blocks into the given image.
Challenge II: Predictive motor monitoring with deep learning
For motors, the rotor bar breakage is one of the critical faults that need to be early detected to its sudden severe damages. To design the diagnostic model for the rotor bars, participants involved in this topic are required to solve problems such as signal processing, feature extraction and image recognition based on the motor data from real applications provided by ABB. After the study on the failure mechanism, they need to establish the rotor bar monitoring model by using machine learning/deep learning technology and provide the test results of existing data.
Challenge III: Communication & control of robots with PLC
Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) act as the physical interfaces between devices and play an important role in controlling the complex automated processes such as robots to improve productivity and quality. This challenge requires participants to use ABB's robot simulation software RobotStudio and various PLC simulation software to design highly realistic applications which enable the seamless connectivity of robots and PLC based on OPC UA communication protocol, so as to better understanding the working principle and communication mechanism of industrial robots and PLCs.
Challenge IV: Creative application of mobile devices on robots
The integration with mobile devices can make robots more perceptive, more adaptable, and easier for wireless connectivity. Participants are invited to propose and implement their innovative designs that integrate robots and mobile devices, by using sensors, touch screens and wireless communication to explore potentials or solve engineering problems in robot applications such as robot calibration, human-machine interaction, diagnosis, path planning and generation.
The 2024 ABB Cup Innovation Contest provides a platform for young talents to learn about the industry-leading software, technology and devices, better understand the global technology trends, and enrich their innovation skills and practical experience, which will ultimately benefit their study and career development in the future. In addition to gaining the prizes and the priority to internship and employment opportunities at ABB, winner representatives will also be invited to visit ABB facilities and ABB booth at the China International Industry Fair (CIIF) in Shanghai.
You can find out more about the 2024 ABB Cup Innovation Contest here.
About ABB Cup Innovation Conest
ABB Cup Innovation Contest, with a history of nearly two decades, was merged by two annual contests - ABB Cup National Automatic System Engineer Thesis Contest (2005) and the ABB University Innovation Contest (2012). With great support from CAA, the Swiss Embassy in China and many industry experts, the contest has attracted more than 20,000 contestants, accumulated a large number of outstanding works and innovations, and developed into a recognized platform for cultivating innovative talents for industries in China.
