From: Shenzhen Daily | Updated:2024-07-01
The Shenzhen Division of the 8th National Youth Drone Competition Guangdong Provincial Round began at Yantian Sports Center and Yantian Foreign Language School on June 29. Over 4,000 participants from 3,529 teams competed in various events, showcasing their technical skills and creativity in a thrilling aerial competition.
This year’s Guangdong Provincial Round features two locations: Shenzhen and Jiangmen. The Jiangmen leg concluded on June 23, with over 2,300 teams participating. The Shenzhen event, held over two days, is open to primary, secondary, and vocational school students across Guangdong and features 27 events. Scores from both divisions will be combined to determine which teams advance to the national finals.
The competition covers five categories: control, programming, combination, virtual, and creative. Key events include the Individual Flight Race, Logistics Assembly and Transport Race, Aerial Combat, Creative Graphic Programming, “Thunderfly” Race, and Swarm Dance Programming.
Unique to the Guangdong competition are special events such as the Feng Ru Creative Flight Challenge, Drone Cruise Speed Race, and Drone Creative Design and Endurance Event, which emphasize innovation and challenge participants’ technical and collaborative abilities.
“The more you practice, the better the results. I’m determined to win and move on to the nationals,” said Wang Guocheng from Xiabay Middle School in Zhuhai after excelling in the aerial soccer event. He had spent nearly a year preparing for the competition and delivered a standout performance.
Another strong competitor, Dong Zeyi from Dongguan Foreign Language School, impressed in the Drone Creative Design and Endurance Event. His drone achieved an air time of 1 minute and 36 seconds, a result of months of focused training. “I’ve been working on spatial awareness and precision control for six months,” he said. “I’m really proud of my performance—it reflects my hard work.”
For younger participants, the competition offered a chance to explore aviation culture. Chen Zihao, a second-grader from Bigui Huacheng School in Foshan, competed in the Feng Ru Creative Flight Challenge. “This was so much fun! I can’t wait to do it again,” he said. The event not only tested technical and creative skills but also introduced participants to the pioneering spirit of Feng Ru, a key figure in China’s aviation history.