The final round of the 2013 Asia-Pacific Robocon Contest (ABU Robocon) kicked off in the central city of Danang on the evening of August 18. The competition involves 19 best teams from 18 countries and territories who are playing in seven groups. According to a draw on August 17, two Vietnamese teams from Ho Chi Minh City-based Lac Hong University will compete in Groups C and F against strong rivals from India and Malaysia. This year’s event, themed “Green Planet”, will include one first, one second and two third prizes. Lam Thanh Hien, Vice Rector of Lac Hong University, pins high hopes on Vietnamese representatives, saying that with outstanding performance, they will be able to become 2013 ABU Robocon champions. Besides strong rivals such as Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, the event drew the participation of promising teams from Thailand and the Republic of Korea. The competition, jointly held by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) and Vietnam Television (VTV), aims to protect the global common house – the earth.VOV