Introduction
CityUHK UR, established in 2017, is a student-led research team primarily focused on underwater robotics competitions. It comprises over 30 students from various departments, including EE, CS, MNE, BME, SDSC, and MSE. We aim to learn and research underwater robotics technologies through STEM education, including mechanical architecture, electronic system integration, motion control, visual perception, navigation, and planning. Based on that, we comprehensively cultivate students' communication skills, leadership, initiative, and critical thinking. Our team will join two main competitions annually: the Singapore AUV Competition and MATE ROV Competition. In addition to SAUVC and MATE, we also participate in other competitions and outreach events, including the China International Marine Underwater Robot Competition (CIOURC) and public exhibitions.
Fall Training (JUNEER Training Program)
Our underwater robotics team recruits new members by our JUNEER Training Program annually, in which the participants are divided into numerous small groups and work together on a simple robotic project.
A Task-based competition would be held to test their machines at the end of the training. Through the training and competition, candidates with good problem-solving skills and spirit of teamwork would be invited to join extra training as our new JUNEER team members.
The JUNEER training program would be held around September and October annually. If you are interested in robotics, please do not miss the invitation sent through CityUHK email!
Event
Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Exhibition
Our team hosted an interactive booth to showcase our latest ROV designs, share underwater robotics knowledge, and demonstrate how our technology addresses environmental challenges. The event successfully engaged the public, raising community awareness and highlighting our team’s potential to teenagers and parents.
CIC-ZCP Exhibition
At this two-day exhibition at the Zero Carbon Building, we featured our latest ROV advancements and offered visitors a hands-on experience piloting the robot. The interactive driving setup sparked strong public interest and fostered meaningful conversations about future engagement.
CIOURC (China International Marine Underwater Robot Competition)
Held in Qingdao, the China International Marine Underwater Robot Competition brings together top university teams to test innovative marine robotics under real-world operating conditions. The CityUHK UR Team achieved the Second Class Award (2nd Grade Prize) at CIOURC 2025, demonstrating advanced underwater robotics capabilities and effective engineering solutions.
SAUVC (Singapore Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Challenge)
The Singapore Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Challenge provides junior team members hands-on experience by building autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to execute complex untethered navigation and manipulation tasks. Participating in SAUVC serves as a core training ground for new members to master autonomous control, system integration, and teamwork before transitioning to ROV development.
MATE ROV Competition
The MATE ROV Competition is a global challenge where students build Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to address real-world ocean monitoring and environmental engineering tasks. This year, the CityUHK UR Team placed 2nd at the Hong Kong Regional and secured 7th place in the Explorer Class at the MATE ROV World Championship.
Awards
The following results are listed on the CityUHK UR website, with the 2026 Hong Kong Regional result included from this year’s competition.
• 2026 – 7th Place, Explorer Class, MATE ROV World Championship
• 2025 – 2nd Grade Prize (Second Class Award), China International Marine Underwater Robot Competition (CIOURC), Qingdao
• 2024 – 3rd Place, Explorer Class, MATE ROV World Championship
• 2023 – 4th Place, Explorer Class, MATE ROV World Championship
• 2022 – 9th Place, Explorer Class, MATE ROV World Championship
• 2019 – 5th Place, Explorer Class, MATE ROV World Championship
Supervisors
Prof. Ray Chak Chung CHEUNG
Associate Provost (Digital Learning), Office of the Provost and Deputy President; Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering; Affiliate Professor, Department of Computer Science. Chairman of IEEE Hong Kong Section.
Prof. HO Chin Pang
Associate Professor and Associate Head, Department of Data Science.
Prof. KANG Wenbin
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Mentors
Mr. Runzhou GUO
Research Assistant, Department of Electrical Engineering.
Mr. Wei Zirui
Research Assistant, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Dr. Irfan Muhammad
Post-doctoral Fellow, CALAS, CityUHK.