Roland DG China Sponsors Student Science and Technology Contest

05/15/2025　Corporate Activities, Digital Printing

Roland DG China (DGC), Roland DG’s sales and marketing subsidiary in China, sponsored the 5th Jianping Cup, a science and technology contest for students held at Shanghai Jianping High School on December 15, 2024. Among the four contest categories, DGC supported the AI Smart Car Contest, where it provided a specially printed racecourse using UV printers and offered students a hands-on experience creating customized merchandise as a commemorative activity.

Innovation shapes the future

The event venue, Shanghai Jianping High School, is a prestigious national senior high school located in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. The Jianping Cup, now in its fifth year, is held annually to promote students’ knowledge of science and technology and foster innovative thinking. It attracts strong interest from both students and their families.

This year, in addition to students from Jianping High School, the contest welcomed 492 students from grades 7 to 11, representing 110 teams from 140 middle schools across Shanghai.

Under the theme “Innovation Shapes the Future,” the Jianping Cup featured four contests in various STEAM fields, including Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. Students chose which contest to enter based on their interests and specialties. DGC supported the AI Smart Car Contest, where students built and raced AI-powered smart cars. DGC used inkjet printers to produce the racecourse and hosted a customized merchandise creation workshop as a participation memento.

AI smart cars and customized merchandise creation

The AI Smart Car Contest began with a lecture on artificial intelligence, followed by lessons on building and programming smart cars. Working in teams of four, students designed and assembled their AI-powered vehicles, adjusting and refining them through trial and error.

The completed cars raced on a course printed with detailed visuals of roads and traffic signs using the TrueVIS LG Series UV printer/cutter which added a vibrant, realistic touch to the competition.

At the venue, students also had the chance to create their own customized merchandise. Using the VersaSTUDIO BN2-20 desktop inkjet printer/cutter and the VersaSTUDIO BD-8 desktop flatbed UV printer, students printed their original designs onto notebooks and tote bags. These one-of-a-kind items became meaningful souvenirs of their participation in the Jianping Cup.

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  Students assembling their AI smart cars

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  Cars racing on a course printed with the TrueVIS LG Series UV printer/cutter

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  Students watching the printing process with the BD-8

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  Holding up finished commemorative items

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  Printing tote bag designs with the BN2-20

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  Students smiling with their customized creations

Creative experience through the fusion of technology and ideas

Through building AI smart cars and creating customized merchandise, students experienced the enjoyment of creativity and learned how to bring their ideas to life using digital tools. This hands-on opportunity helped cultivate their creativity and interest in technology by demonstrating how ideas can be transformed into tangible products through innovation.

Roland DG Group will continue supporting the practical use of digital technologies in educational settings and contribute to fostering the next generation of innovators.