About

The PolyU FENG AI & Robotics Club is a student engineering community supported by the Faculty of Engineering (FENG) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Members from across PolyU design, build and test real robots, from autonomous drones and robot dogs to unmanned ground vehicles and competition robots, and learn how mechanical design, electronics, perception and AI come together in one working system.

Our vision

To build a world-class robotics club, first in Hong Kong, then in Asia and the world, and to cultivate outstanding students who can take a real problem all the way to a working, reliable robot. Through our efforts in robotics, we want to make a difference, with trustworthy robotic systems that people can not only use, but also trust.

Making a difference. We do robotics because robots can change how people live and work: inspecting buildings so workers stay safe, delivering goods in a crowded city, guiding a visually impaired person across campus. Every project should start from a real need and leave something useful behind.

Trustworthy robots. A robot that works once in a demo is not enough. People will only rely on a robot if it is safe, keeps working when conditions change, and is honest about what it can and cannot do. That is why members learn to test under real conditions, measure uncertainty, plan for failure and report results truthfully. This shares the vision of the Trustworthy AI and Autonomous Systems Laboratory (TAS Lab) at PolyU, whose postdocs and PhD students mentor the club.

We measure ourselves by our students. A club member should be able to define a problem, design across mechanics, electronics, sensing and software, build and test under real deadlines, and explain the result honestly. Our motto, from the club's founding plan, is to make robots that contribute to society, and to become engineers who contribute to society.

Our mission

• Identify and develop talented students through rigorous hands-on training, interdisciplinary teamwork and high-level competition.
• Give every member close guidance from Faculty of Engineering staff, Industrial Centre engineers and PhD-level mentors.
• Prepare the strongest members for research, including undergraduate research and future MPhil or PhD study, and for demanding careers in robotics, AI, autonomous vehicles, logistics automation and aerospace.
• Build robotic technologies with educational, scientific and social value, and pass every design, line of code and lesson on to the next cohort.

What you gain by joining

The club asks a lot of its members, and gives a lot back. Members who keep their commitment can expect:

A typical path through the club

1. Year 1Join and learnEnter as a Tier 3 member. Build foundations in AI, programming and robotics through training and the learning roadmap, and contribute to your technical group.
2. Year 2Train and buildPromoted to Tier 2 on review. Structured bi-weekly training and a place on a project or competition team.
3. Year 3Compete and leadRepresent PolyU at Robocon and other international competitions. Tier 1 members lead teams and mentor others.
4. Year 4Launch your next stepIndustry internships and job offers, recommendation for PhD study, and exchange opportunities.

A path for a committed member. Promotion depends on reviews of skill, contribution and commitment, not on year of study, and recommendations are earned, not guaranteed.

International and industry exchange

A world-class club has to measure itself against the best teams outside PolyU.

• International competition. The Robocon 2027 project enters the Hong Kong contest, the route to ABU Robocon 2027 in Solo, Indonesia, and a RoboCup China Open 2028 project has started. Through these events members meet and compete with university teams from across Asia.
• Learning from leading teams. Members study how top teams in Robocon and DJI RoboMaster, such as CUHK, HKUST, HKU, Tsinghua University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, organise training, engineering and knowledge transfer, and follow student clubs at MIT, CMU, Stanford, ETH Zurich and NUS. See the world's leading robotics clubs.
• Industry partners. Companies in legged robots, embodied AI, autonomous logistics and intelligent transport give members access to real robot platforms, problems from industry, mentoring, company visits and internship routes.
• Visits and outreach. Company visits, talks and public showcases, such as the PolyU Student Orientation, connect members with engineers and the wider community.

Leadership and supervision

The Director of the Robotics Club is Prof. Weisong Wen of the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering. Professor Wen provides the club's strategic direction and coordinates its programme.

Staff-level supervisors from AAE, EEE and ME advise on technical direction, and Dr. LEE Kam-pui Jonathan, Engineering Manager at the PolyU Industrial Centre, is the club's Coach Advisor for hands-on engineering, fabrication and workspace use. An External Advisory Board of robotics professors from Zhejiang University, the Southern University of Science and Technology, Shandong University, the University of Macau and Northeastern University gives guidance, direction and seminars. A PhD-level mentor team works with students week to week. See the Team page.

Four technical groups

Every member belongs to one technical group. Project teams draw members from several groups, so each robot is built by people with complementary skills. Click a group for its details, requirements and photos.

Where we work

Club projects are built in the PolyU Industrial Centre, which provides workbenches, a practice field, tools and machines, and engineers who supervise fabrication and safety.

Three member tiers

Every member joins through the same application, written test and interview and is placed into a tier. Tiers reflect current skill and commitment, not seniority, and are reviewed regularly.

Tier 3 · General Memberabout 80 places

Interested students, including beginners. Seminars, salons, company visits, introductory workshops and open club activities. No external competition representation.

Tier 2 · Training Memberabout 30 places

Members with foundational knowledge and reliable participation. Structured bi-weekly training and supervised hands-on work. Can form or join project and competition teams.

Tier 1 · Advanced Memberabout 15 places

Technically strong and highly committed members. Lead project and competition teams, write proposals, mentor junior members and represent PolyU when selected.

Tier 3General Memberabout 80 places

• Seminars and company visits
• Introductory workshops
• Open club activities

Tier 2Training Memberabout 30 places

• Bi-weekly structured training
• Supervised hands-on work
• Join project and competition teams

Tier 1Advanced Memberabout 15 places

• Lead teams and write proposals
• Mentor junior members
• Represent PolyU in competitions

See how to join or read the Q&A. For anything else, email airoboticsclubpolyu@gmail.com and copy Prof. Weisong Wen at welson.wen@polyu.edu.hk.