In 2025, as northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region celebrates its 70th anniversary, the region’s rich tapestry of Uygur, Kazakh and Kirgiz cultures takes center stage. Communities of all backgrounds are writing a vivid chapter of shared progress and hope.
Amid this celebration, Rizaydin Rehemjiang, a Resource Exploration Engineering student at Central South University from Ili, found inspiration in 2023 after watching a video of a bionic quadruped robot. He envisioned replacing manual labor in hazardous mine shafts to protect workers’ lives.
Rizaydin brought together a nine-member entrepreneurial team with peers from Xinjiang, Fujian, Hubei and Hong Kong SAR, China. Blending robotics with mining expertise, their research has earned multiple awards for its potential to slash workplace accidents and boost efficiency.
These bionic quadrupeds can deliver equipment, survey tunnels and monitor structural integrity, reducing risks for human workers. For Rizaydin, the project is also a celebration of unity—proving that diverse backgrounds and ethnicities can drive innovation and make real-world impact.
Looking ahead, the team plans field trials in local mines, aiming to set a new standard for sustainable, safe resource exploration in Xinjiang and beyond. Their journey shows how technology and collaboration can redefine a century-old industry and inspire global changemakers.
Reference(s):
Vibrant Xinjiang: A diverse team reinventing century-old mining
cgtn.com
