Dreame Technology Starts Innovation Fund With ROBOCON Organizers

Working together with officials in charge of the Asia Pacific University Robot Competition, or ABU ROBOCON, Dreame Technology has established a new Dreame Technology Robotics Innovation Fund.

Founded in 2017 in Shanghai, Dreame Technology makes smart home cleaning appliances. Yu Hao, CEO and founder of Dreame Technology, said the company was partnering with ROBOCON “to support outstanding students in their scientific and technological innovations.”

The first ROBOCON took place in 2002 and was started by the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union, according to ROBOCON's website.

“In the competition[,] robots compete to complete a task within a set period of time,” reads an excerpt on the organization’s website. “The contest aims to create friendship among young people with similar interests who will lead their countries in the 21^st century, as well as help advance engineering and broadcasting technologies in the region.”

Training legged robots

As part of ROBOCON’s equestrian competition, engineers from Dreame’s Innovation Research Institute said they created training sessions for students centered on “robot motion control and planning algorithms.”

“The students were required to develop a four-legged robotic horse to compete in sprint and obstacle competitions, testing the robots’ endurance, speed and ability to move independently during the competition,” the company said in a release.

The company has experience in making legged robots, launching its first bionic quadruped robot in July 2021. The company noted that it is trying to build more general-purpose robots and move beyond the smart home cleaning market.

The company said the annual competition has helped the region’s robotic market grow, noting that more than 600 technologies companies have been created in response to ROBOCON.

“China is by far the biggest robot market in the world regarding annual sales and the operational stock,” said Milton Guerry, president of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) in a report earlier this year. “IFR´s robot density statistics is a useful indicator of China´s dynamic developments, counting the number of industrial robots per 10,000 employees: China´s robot density in the manufacturing industry currently ranks 9th globally (246 units) - compared to 25th (49 units) just five years ago.”