On August 25, after a five-month-long contest, the grand final of the “2024 MEICC — Bright Stone Cup Micro-Nano Sensing Technology and Intelligent Application”, the highest-level competition of its kind in China, concluded in Yantai Huang-Bohai New Area. The team from Nankai University’s College of Artificial Intelligence secured first prize in the postgraduate division.

The project submitted by the Nankai University team, titled “Mechanical Force Estimation Based on Visual Cell Deformation and Improved Point-Load Model”, earned the first prize in the postgraduate division. The project was supervised by Professor Zhao Xin and Associate Professor Liu Yaowei from the College of Artificial Intelligence. The team developed a vision-based force measurement method, enabling real-time measurement of the mechanical force exerted on cells during manipulation. This method achieves a precision of up to 1.05 μN, providing essential data support for mechanical force control and technical optimization in micromanipulation. Using this measurement method, the team has successfully created eight cloned pigs through the world’s first fully automated nuclear transfer process. This breakthrough has been implemented in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, generating approximately RMB 767 million in additional economic benefits. Beyond the cloned pig project, the team aims to apply this method to other cell manipulation processes, further supporting manipulation and technical optimization.

The competition, organized by the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, is a premier university-level competition in micro-nano sensing technology and intelligent application in China. A total of 868 teams from across the country registered to compete, with 309 teams advancing to the national finals. In the end, 24 teams were awarded first prize.

（Edited and translated by Nankai News Team.)