The moment a male student introduced a robot to General Secretary To Lam caused a 'storm' on the internet

Great honor

A short clip recording the moment General Secretary To Lam stopped, smiled and chatted with a group of students at the coffee robot counter at the exhibition space displaying typical technology products, within the framework of the first Ho Chi Minh City Party Congress, went viral on social networks.

The character in the clip is Tran Duy Khanh, a senior student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry. The male student calmly introduced his research product to the General Secretary .

“I was really surprised and touched to meet him. This is a great honor for me. When we were assigned to bring the robot to the congress, our group clearly understood the scale and importance, but no one expected the General Secretary to directly visit our booth,” Khanh said.

Student Tran Duy Khanh (in white shirt) confidently introduces the coffee-making robot to General Secretary To Lam.

The coffee-making robot project was carried out by Tran Duy Khanh and Pham Nguyen Hoang Duy (students of Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry). The two male students, who are also interns at ABB Vietnam, were assigned to present and operate the coffee-making robot named ABB Yumi - one of the products selected for display within the framework of the Congress.

“Our counter was placed at the first position. When I saw him approaching, my heart was beating very fast. But when he smiled, I calmed down, started to introduce the robot and simulate the traditional filter coffee making process,” Khanh recalled.

After the Congress, the two young students received countless congratulations from teachers and friends. The male student said he was grateful to the teachers who had enthusiastically guided him and given him the opportunity to do research.

Tran Duy Khanh (left) prepares a booth to display typical technology products.

Khanh said that talking with General Secretary To Lam was not only a memorable experience, but also a source of inspiration for him to boldly pursue scientific research, especially in the field of robotics and automation. “I hope that my little story will help people like me believe that, as long as we maintain our passion and make efforts, any of us can create something special,” Khanh expressed.

From a boy who loves flycam to a student majoring in Robotics

The ABB YuMi robot (short for "You and Me") is a two-armed collaborative robot that can work safely and directly with humans. In just 20 seconds, the robot completes the entire process: scooping coffee, pouring boiling water, waiting for it to drip, and pouring it into a cup, all with precision down to the smallest detail.

To achieve that “smoothness”, Khanh and his colleagues spent a lot of time observing and recording every small movement when people make coffee: from shaking the filter, tapping lightly to pouring water evenly. “The hardest part is making the robot not stiff, but soulful as if it is truly enjoying its work,” Khanh added.

The exhibition displays typical technology products within the framework of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Congress. Photo: Ngo Tung

Khanh’s passion for engineering began early. While in middle and high school, he participated in many science and engineering competitions, especially projects on the environment and unmanned aerial vehicles (FPV Drones). “In grade 12, I chose Control and Automation because I wanted to pursue my dream of building robots,” Khanh confided.

In addition to studying, Khanh also taught himself to design and repair drones, participated in many academic competitions for students and won many high achievements. Last August, he also participated in an international research project between Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand) and RMIT University Vietnam, with the topic "Monitoring plastic waste in rivers" and was published in an international scientific journal.