​Engineering Education with Its Innovative Practices Lights up Campus

On April 5, 2025, “Crabapple Blossom Festival” campus open day was held. More than 100,000 teachers, students, alumni, and citizens participated in this spring grand event that integrates historical context and technological innovation. As one of the highlights of the event, the School of Electrical and Information Engineering, with the theme of “New Engineering Empowers the Future,” presented to the public the fruitful achievements of the school in fields such as smart energy, intelligent control, and advanced information through immersive technology exhibitions and popular science activities in three major sections. It attracted numerous visitors to experience.

Exhibition of Project-based Teaching in Emerging Engineering Disciplines

During the “Exhibition of Project-based Teaching in Emerging Engineering Disciplines” held at Peiyang Square of Weijin Road Campus, teachers and students of the school demonstrated the fruitful achievements of the integration of industry, education, and research through roadshows, interactive games, and scenario-based demonstrations. In front of the exhibition booth, theLarge Models-Based AI Virtual Teaching Assistant in Municipal Demonstration Center for Experimental of Information and Communication Engineering Education (Tianjin University)became the focus. Its multimodal interaction function caters to visitors of all ages. Children participated in fun sports activities through AI visual technology; elderly alumni had conversations with the AI about the university’s history; and young students discussed the directions of technological iteration. Professor Li Gen led the team in giving knowledge explanations and organizing interactive games, conveying the charm of AI technology to visitors in a way that combines education with pleasure.

In addition,the Land-Air Integrated Cluster Control System for Intelligent Robotsamazed the visitors with a formation performance composed of drones, bipedal robots, etc. The formation transformation can be controlled via a mobile phone APP, allowing visitors to have an intuitive understanding of the potential of swarm intelligence. The project ofIntelligent Firefighting Robot, on the other hand, demonstrated the practical value of scientific research achievements through laser navigation and the demonstration of extinguishing a fire through robotic arm. The on-site interactions and displays of the above projects, together with other projects such as theMultifunctional Musical Fountainand theDesign of Multifunctional Intelligent Desk Lamp, were widely praised and won two second prizes and four third prizes in this exhibition.

Popular Science Education Base of Smart Grid

At the Popular Science Education Base of Smart Grid, the activity titled “The Green Revolution of One Kilowatt-hour of Electricity” conveyed the concept of low carbon through interesting interactions. Visitors played roles as electric power specialists and experienced the conversion of clean energy through a solar-powered fan and a hydroelectric power simulation device. The demonstration of the smart grid model and the household electricity consumption monitoring technology revealed the core role of power technology in achieving the dual carbon goals. A citizen exclaimed, “Even one kilowatt-hour of electricity can set off a green wave!”

Popular Science Education Base of Smart Machines

Inside the Popular Science Education Base of Smart Machines, achievements such as robotic arms, laser printing, and quadruped robotic dogs attracted the attention of teachers, students, and parents from dozens of middle schools. Professor Yu Heyang demonstrated the grasping and assembly functions of a six-axis robotic arm. Students personally operated the control handle to complete complex commands, and learned about its application potential in the industrial field through practice. Professor Bai Ruifeng showcased the laser printing technology, precisely engraving four characters “天津大学(meaning Tianjin University)” on the display board. The quadruped robotic dog equipped with an AI visual system became a popular star with its difficult moves like dancing and doing push-ups, vividly illustrating the cutting-edge development of embodied intelligence.

This open day event is not only a concentrated display of the school’s teaching achievements but also a vivid practice of its concept of “feeding back education with scientific research and serving society with innovation.” In the future, the School of Electrical and Information Engineering will continue to deepen the reform of new engineering education, and promote the deep integration of industry, education, and research.

By Lu Ruotong, School of Electrical and Information Engineering

Editor: Sun Xiaofang