Over 5,000 youth from all over the world gathered in Shanghai for a two-day robotics competition beginning on Nov. 19.

The World Educational Robot (WER) Contest, an international competition for minors aged 6 to 18, was founded and organized by the Federation of World Educational Robot. Annually, more than 300,000 participants from 20 countries compete in regional WER contests. This year, the number has risen to over 500,000. More than 300 foreign teenagers from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, India and other countries participated in the Shanghai contest.

In the Bricks Robot Contest, contestants were asked to demonstrate control over weight, balance, distance and orientation. In addition, they had to attempt three on-site challenges, requiring quick analysis, innovation and adjustments.

Not only does WER offer bright teenages a high reward (the total annual prize money is over $200,000), it also acts as an important reference for acceptance to highly competitive universities. According to Jake Mendelssohn, president of WER, the contest aims to cultivate rigor and teamwork in scientific research, offering teenagers the chance to gain valuable experience in a supportive environment