Revolutionizing Robotics with AI at the National Youth Tech Championship

SINGAPORE – Picture this: agile drones flitting through a challenging obstacle course, powered by cutting-edge artificial intelligence and guided by the programming genius of students. In a thrilling display of innovation, Ngee Ann Secondary School’s team proved themselves the stars of the National Youth Tech Championship 2025.

These aren’t just any drones; they’re intelligent machines equipped to recognize colors and navigate autonomously, blowing colored balls into matching tubes with precision while landing on designated targets. Over six intensive weeks, 320 budding tech enthusiasts from 67 secondary schools participated, showcasing the largest turnout since the event’s inception in 2023.

An Epic Showdown of Skills and Creativity

Organized by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) alongside Google Cloud and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), this prestigious championship has established itself as a pivotal platform for youth passionate about technology. The final competition unfolded on July 18 at SIT's Punggol campus, featuring 55 finalists who battled it out in two intense rounds.

The first round revolved around an intricate obstacle course where each successful drone maneuver scored points for the competing teams. The second round, dubbed "The Battleground," shifted focus to ground robots, tasked with gathering cube-shaped tokens and scoring for each successfully returned to their home base.

A Thrilling Finale with a Twist

As the competition heated up, Ngee Ann Secondary School and Dunman Secondary School rose to the top, securing their spots in the Grand Final. Here, they once again faced off, but this time points were also awarded for clever strategies like snatching tokens from their opponent’s territory. The excitement reached its peak as Ngee Ann’s four-member squad emerged as the ultimate champions.

Lee Jia Qi, 17, one of the victorious team members, expressed his astonishment, saying, "Winning was unbelievable! It’s such an incredible feeling to succeed after all our hard work." He revealed that the team's fascination with AI was particularly rooted in the challenge of image recognition, which allowed their drones to land accurately by processing visuals of target logos.

Empowering Youth Through Tech Innovation

The National Youth Tech Championship aims to empower young minds, equipping them with the skills to program intelligent agents like these drones. This initiative is in harmony with Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0, advocating for the use of AI for societal benefit.

In this year’s event, IMDA partnered with SIT to provide participants with mentorship from 14 skilled undergraduates, who guided them through both technical training and motivational encouragement. Brendan Tan, a 24-year-old software engineering student and mentor, shared his rewarding experience: "It’s fulfilling to watch them unravel the complexities on their own. We don’t just hand them solutions but guide them to discover answers themselves, ensuring they grow into confident problem-solvers."

Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators

Attending the final event, Minister for Digital Development and Information, Josephine Teo, remarked on the vast opportunities technology presents for Singapore. She encouraged the participants to channel their passions into impactful contributions for the nation, highlighting the importance of digital technology in shaping a brighter future.