On November 12, 2022, a delegation led by Bao Lei, Chief Technology Officer of Beijing Soft Robot Technology Co., Ltd. (SRT), visited North China University of Technology (NCUT) and co-hosted a thematic seminar on “Soft Robotics Technology and Applications.” The seminar aimed to help students understand the latest developments in robotics technology both domestically and internationally, grasp the current state and trends of the soft robotics industry, and provide an enterprise perspective to assist them in clarifying their career directions and planning their professional paths. Faculty members including Xu Jining from the School of Digital Industry and Li Zhijun, Head of the Automation Department, attended the seminar.
The seminar combined on-site lectures with physical demonstrations. During the seminar, SRT’s CTO Bao Lei explained the development process, control principles, related technologies, and research frontiers of soft robotics from his professional perspective. He introduced the application scenarios of soft robots that students care about, citing examples from various industries such as vacuum flasks, prepared meals, medical care, and agriculture. He also shared his insights on key research directions in soft robotics.
To deepen the students’ understanding of soft robotics technology, SRT specially transported its “Tea-Making Robot” equipment to the seminar venue for a live tea-making demonstration.
This tea-making robot system had previously served domestic and international journalists at the press center of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, showcasing Chinese tea culture. With a smooth sequence of movements — warming the cup, rinsing the tea, pouring back into the pot, dividing into cups, and presenting the tea — the robot’s fluid tea-brewing motions captivated the students’ curiosity and sparked their desire for further exploration.
The seminar was conducted in a lively and highly productive atmosphere. Participating students actively interacted with the speakers, raising questions and sharing their own ideas about soft robotics. Experts from SRT and faculty members from North China University of Technology addressed each question thoroughly.
Multiple prizes were prepared to encourage active participants, motivating them to think deeper and explore further. Through the presentations and interactions, students gained a clearer understanding of the industry background, key technologies, and future development trends of soft robotics, as well as a stronger sense of anticipation regarding their own career paths.
According to feedback from a questionnaire completed by the attending students, over 92% of the students expressed a desire to work in “Specialized, Refined, Differential, and Innovative (SRDI) ‘Little Giant’ enterprises” such as SRT, and more than 94% believed that soft robotics aligned well with their career planning expectations.
