Scientific works designed by students from the electronic information and electrical engineering institute at Shanghai Jiao Tong University went on display in the school’s campus in Minhang district on July 2.

“We hope the exhibition, which features a series of cutting-edge, high-tech products, encourages more young people to pursue scientific and technology research that benefits the community,” said Guan Xinping, head of the electronic information and electrical engineering institute at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

One of the highlights of the exhibition is a mechanical arm which can extract a specific object from a pile of items. The robot was designed by members of the autonomous robotics lab led by Chen Weidong, professor of the automation school at the electronic information and electrical engineering institute.

“The robotic arm can recognize the type and position of the object using a RGB-D camera. This allows it to determine the best route to retrieve it,” said Chen.

Wang Yiwen, a postgraduate in the team, said the mechanical arm could be used to help logistics workers sort and load cargo if it is launched in the market.