Planting seeds of potential

On July 26-27, the name Điện Biên Phủ was proudly announced at the 2025 national ORC Robocon, a large-scale STEM robotics competition organized by the ORC program and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology under the Vietnam National University. It was the first time the Robotechtory Điện Biên Phủ Club had entered a live, nationwide contest, facing nearly 170 teams from across the country.

In their debut, all three teams from the club advanced past the qualifiers to become seeded teams in the round of 16 across all three categories: Junior (primary school), Explorer (secondary school), and Master (high school + university). Notably, the Master team, made up of secondary school students competing above their grade level, defeated several strong opponents to claim second place overall. This was a remarkable feat, given the Master category’s high demands in programming and precision robot control under tight time limits.

Điêu Thanh Tùng, a 9th grader at Lương Thế Vinh High School and member of the Master team, said: “When we signed up for the Master category, we only aimed to learn and exchange experiences, without pressure to win. Before competing, I was nervous, but with encouragement from my family and teachers, we gave it our all. Making it to the finals and winning second place, hearing the name Điện Biên Phủ announced, was an incredible feeling of joy and pride.”

Club mentor Đào Xuân Quỳnh noted: “Even against strong opponents in a fast-paced format, the students executed their strategies well and kept calm when errors happened. In robotics, creativity, tactics, and composure matter as much as technical skills.”

This success is an early “first harvest” from the seeds of technology being planted, fueling greater motivation for teachers and students to continue spreading their passion for STEM robotics.

Growing a passion for technology

The achievement was no stroke of luck. It was the result of years of nurturing led by Đào Xuân Quỳnh, a natural sciences teacher at Tân Bình Secondary School and one of the first to bring STEM robotics to Điện Biên’s students. Driven by both his job requirements and his own research interest, Quỳnh began self-studying robotics in 2020 and sharing his knowledge with students.

By 2023, his passion had spread further. Together with other teachers, he opened classes, held small competitions, and founded the Robotechtory Điện Biên Phủ Club at Lương Thế Vinh High School, starting with nearly 20 members. The club began entering online competitions to gain experience.

Bùi Hữu Đông, a 9th grader at Him Lam Secondary School and one of the club’s first members, recalled: “I first discovered robotics in sixth grade. It was exciting and full of things to explore, so I decided to learn more, join the club, and take part in events with my teacher’s guidance. Programming is challenging, but the deeper I get into it, the more I enjoy it. I’ll keep pursuing this passion.”

Not stopping at club activities, Quỳnh and colleagues have worked to create larger robotics events. To mark the 71st anniversary of the Điện Biên Phủ victory (May 7, 2025), they organized the first “Tân Bình open Robocon” with the theme “Robots and young minds -  Pride in the Điện Biên Phủ victory”. Sixteen teams programmed robots to reenact historical tasks such as digging trenches, detonating explosives, and planting flags on Hill A1, an inventive way to link technology with history education.

Challenges remain. “This is still a new subject here”, Quỳnh said. “Being remote, we often lack the parts to build or upgrade robots and must wait for deliveries from elsewhere. Equipping students with full STEM robotics tools is also costly, so for now, activities are concentrated in the city area.”

Despite these hurdles, Quỳnh and the club’s 10 core students continue to explore with enthusiasm. He not only keeps learning new techniques and technologies to pass on to students but also encourages them to balance schoolwork with robotics, treating it as both study and recreation. The club is now preparing for another online competition, with a longer-term goal of creating a province-wide robotics league open to all schools. Quỳnh is also working with the Nhân Kiệt education training Center to offer robotics classes for children as young as seven, bringing technology closer to the next generation.

From these seeds, Robotechtory is steadily cultivating young talent, not just sparking curiosity but launching students toward promising futures in robotics and automation.