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The Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Yuan Ze University once again achieved outstanding results at the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ 2026 Best AI Award. With the project “AR-Based Virtual–Physical Integrated Attention-Aware Interactive Learning Robot,” the team received an Honorable Mention in the AI Application Category, marking the Department’s second consecutive year of recognition in this national-level AI competition. The achievement highlighted the Department’s strong research and development capabilities in artificial intelligence, embedded systems, and intelligent interactive applications.
The award-winning project was supervised by Professor Ming-Yi Lin of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and jointly developed by students Li-Chen Wang, Yu-Hsuan Lee, Meng-Chun Chen, Chih-Ying Lu, Chen-Pei Hsu, Yu-Ju Chen, Chun-Tang Hu, and Hsuan-Yu Hsu. The team integrated generative AI, gesture recognition, eye-tracking, and depth sensing technologies to create an interactive system applicable to intelligent learning platforms for children, providing a more immersive and personalized learning experience.
The system was capable of automatically generating customized picture-book learning materials based on users’ age and interest topics, allowing learning content to better meet individual needs. Users could interact with the system through simple gestures and combine real-world objects with story content, enhancing engagement and enjoyment during the learning process.
Notably, the project incorporated an attention-aware perception system that analyzed users’ gaze focus and fixation duration in real time. The system provided timely prompts or interactive feedback to help improve concentration and learning efficiency. By integrating dynamically generated content, virtual–physical integration, and touch-free interaction, the system made reading and learning processes more innovative and imaginative.
The Best AI Award was established to encourage schools and enterprises to promote diverse AI innovation applications, create industrial value, and cultivate talent required by industry. Evaluation criteria included value creation and application effectiveness, technological uniqueness, differentiation from existing products, and the completeness of technical validation. Participants were required to deliver oral presentations and undergo on-site defenses, posing significant challenges to their logical thinking, communication skills, and real-time responsiveness.
This year’s competition attracted 1,487 teams from 36 countries worldwide, making it highly competitive. The award-winning students stated that standing out among numerous domestic and international teams was not only an affirmation of their research efforts but also further demonstrated the Department’s achievements in innovative talent cultivation and practice-oriented teaching.
The student team also expressed special gratitude to Professor Ming-Yi Lin and Professor Sheng-Hsien Hsieh of National Yunlin University of Science and Technology for their professional guidance and support throughout the research process, which helped the team continuously overcome technical challenges. Professor Lin noted that integrating image recognition, generative AI, gesture recognition, and eye-tracking into a complete and stable complex system required not only technical expertise but also clear logical thinking and effective team communication.
Professor Lin emphasized that winning awards for two consecutive years was both a recognition of the team’s dedication and a reflection of the growing importance of AI combined with AR-based virtual–physical integration as a key future development trend. While the current project focused on intelligent learning for young children, it also showed potential for future applications in long-term care and special education. Through continuous innovation, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Yuan Ze University demonstrated its leading position in generative AI, human–computer interaction technologies, and intelligent perception, responding to real societal needs with advanced technology.
