Competing against more than 30,000 teams from over 40 countries, grade 9 student Pengjin C. represented Singapore at the VEX Robotics World Championships in the United States and emerged as the world runner-up.

We recently caught up with Pengjin to learn about his inspirations and the clever engineering behind his robot.

What inspired you to start learning robotics?

When I was four years old, I watched the film Pacific Rim, which features huge robots battling monsters from outer space. I thought it was so cool, and I wanted to build a robot or a project like that. This is when my dream of becoming an engineer took root.

Years later in grade 5, I was introduced to VEX V5, a highly competitive robotics programme where you design, build, programme, and drive robots. I was immediately hooked. From that point on, robotics became my passion.

Representing Singapore on the world stage is a huge honour. How did it feel when you first arrived at the World Robotics Finals?

Standing in an arena filled with thousands of people while holding the Singapore flag was unforgettable. It reminded me how much time and effort had gone into reaching that stage. All the long hours in the lab, sometimes up to 12 hours a day, spent experimenting, solving problems, and refining my code felt worth it, and it made me determined to give my best.

What unique feature made your robot stand out in the finals?

A unique feature of my robot was engineering a Power Take-Off (PTO) mechanism. In simple terms, it lets me temporarily redirect power from the robot’s wheels to its arm whenever extra strength is needed.

This feature is especially useful because VEX robots are limited to a power limit of 88 watts. Most of that power is normally used for driving and intake, which means the arm alone would not be strong enough to lift or climb. With the PTO system, my robot was able to perform things many other teams could not, such as climbing a ladder.

How do you feel being at CIS has helped prepare you for this competition?

CIS is a very supportive community, and it has taught me many important skills such as time management, communication, and self-management. These were essential for me in this competition as I only had two to three months to design, build, and programme a robot.

My teachers have also been encouraging. They helped me with tasks like laser-cutting polycarbonate parts and were always willing to listen to my ideas, troubleshoot problems, and offer solutions.

Looking ahead, what are your dreams or career goals?

My goal is to keep learning and exploring. Robotics opened my eyes to how exciting engineering can be and showed me how much I want to keep developing my skills, challenging myself, and seeing how far I can grow. In the future, I hope to become a mechanical engineer and keep building things that move the world.

Congratulations, Pengjin! We’re so proud of your extraordinary achievement in Robotics.