Robot Wars

Contest that teaches youth to program smart agents draws over 320 students

- Joyce Lee

Buzzing drones equipped with cameras and sensors fly adeptly through a series of obstacles.

Next, the drones detect the colors of three balls on a table—red, blue, and yellow—and use their propellers to blow each ball into a matching tube.

Finally, the drones land on a target spot marked by logos on a stair-like platform.

These are not remote-controlled devices but artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled drones able to navigate an obstacle course autonomously.

Over six weeks of training, more than 320 students from 67 secondary schools programmed these drones to compete in the National Youth Tech Championship 2025. This is the highest level of participation since the event debuted in 2023.

The championship, organized by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Google Cloud in partnership with the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), is one of the largest AI drone competitions for youth here.

Back for a third season, it serves as the premier contest for schools' infocomm media club students.