Nguyen Do Quoc Anh, 24 years old, is an alumnus of the University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City. Late last year, he and his supervisor, Master Cao Xuan Nam, a lecturer in the Faculty of Information Technology, were granted an exclusive patent for their "small-sized automatic running robot".
The duo stated the robot measures just 6x8 cm, featuring a compact structure, low cost, and high customizability. It integrates sensors, high-speed motors, and an optimized processor, enabling flexible movement in confined spaces.
Autonomous robot created by Quoc Anh and Mr. Nam moving in a maze. Video: Provided by subject.
This robot serves as a valuable tool for students to explore and practice embedded programming or research optimal pathfinding algorithms. Its breakthrough lies in packing full motors and features into a miniature version, a key factor in securing the patent.
"Designing and installing motors in the smallest possible space is difficult. Existing products on the market are three to 4 times larger," Mr. Nam said.
According to Mr. Nam, Quoc Anh proactively researched every aspect of the project. This included mechanical design, circuit development, sourcing components, finding manufacturing sites, and even soldering microchips onto the electronic circuit board himself. Mr. Nam primarily offered ideas and refined the designs.
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Nguyen Do Quoc Anh. Photo: Provided by subject.
Quoc Anh, a native of Gia Lai, recounted his childhood curiosity. Many electronic devices and toy cars at home were disassembled to understand their inner workings, though "most could not be reassembled". A turning point came in 7th grade when he discovered a book on Arduino embedded circuits, inspiring him to design a light switch system.
Throughout middle and high school, Quoc Anh opted out of extra classes, dedicating his time instead to studying various electronic circuits. By 10th grade, he began watching videos of international robot products on YouTube.
"Thanks to that, I seriously learned English. Initially, I didn't understand and had to translate word by word, but gradually I could read fluently on my own," the student recalled.
His first success arrived after one year. By creating a phone-controlled robot arm, Quoc Anh earned a consolation prize in the national science and engineering competition for students.
Driven by his passion, Quoc Anh successfully enrolled in the Information Technology program, a joint training initiative between the University of Natural Sciences and Auckland University of Technology (AUT), New Zealand.
Upon entering university, Quoc Anh was drawn to the Robotics – IoT club and the Artificial Intelligence Lab (AILab), both led by Mr. Cao Xuan Nam. In their discussions, both shared a keen interest in "micromouse" – compact, intelligent autonomous robots.
The teacher and student began their research in 2020, enduring hundreds of trials, failures, and restarts. Early versions were considerably larger, with production costs kept low by utilizing existing machinery, wires, and circuit boards from the lab.
By 2022, the "miniature" robot version was developed, with a trial production cost of just two million dong.
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Autonomous robot versions during the research process, from right to left. Photo: Provided by subject.
After graduating, Quoc Anh secured a position at a Dutch corporation. Despite this, he decided to pursue a Master's degree at Lakehead University in Canada.
The opportunity arose when he encountered an environmental monitoring robot research project by a university lecturer. After expressing his interest, Quoc Anh received an unexpected offer to study there and collaborate on research, with 100% tuition support and 50% living expenses covered.
"Some things come unexpectedly, but they are opportunities to expand knowledge and experience, so I seized them. I hope in Canada, I can delve deeper into robot research," Quoc Anh shared.
Le Nguyen
