Yanning (Jeffrey) Liu — Research, Robotics & Ink

Hi, I'm Jeffrey.

A senior at Shenzhen Middle School International Division. I've always been drawn to places where old things meet new tools—like using 3D reconstruction to look at Dunhuang murals, exploring Zen koans to write better AI prompts, or using game theory to figure out robotics supply chains.

Whether I'm captaining our FRC team, building an economic model to see how robotics firms pay for R&D when parts are running low, or just painting at my desk after my homework is done, I realize I’m always trying to do the same thing: figure out how something complicated works, and then build a way to show it to others.

Jeffrey in his FRC team jacket next to the Michelin tire-man exhibit in Houston

#534 → #174

FRC World Team Ranking

As Team Captain, I helped lead our team to the biggest single-season jump in our history: moving from #534 out of 1,946 teams (top 27%) straight into the top 11% globally at #174 out of 1,601.

1 of 153

S.-T. Yau Science Award

Regional 2nd Prize in Economics & Finance Modeling, one of 153 winning teams out of 1,812 registered.

4 Years of Dunhuang

Faith, Food, and Music

I first saw the Mogao caves at ten. What started as a hobby reading Dunhuang murals grew into a four-year obsession. I looked at everything from how the Buddha’s face changed over centuries to what Silk Road travelers ate for dinner. It eventually turned into an online archive, a 3D cave model, and an exhibition for 800 kids.

Since Grade 1

Chinese Ink Painting

I’ve had three years of formal training at Jieshan Studio. My work has been exhibited in the U.S. (ACAES-USA), and I’ve even written and illustrated a published picture book.

Selected Highlights

Awards

IMMC Greater China: Outstanding Award (Team), top 1.93% (27 teams)

Robotics

FIRST Championship 2026: advanced to the playoffs in Houston

Robotics

FIRST Dean's List Nominee: Selected for both the 2025 & 2026 seasons

Research

From Paper to Poster: A study on how robotics firms finance innovation when supply chains risk breaking down

Community

Visitor Voices: Analyzed tons of Mogao Grottoes reviews to find 3 low-cost fixes for better tourism

Community

Tencent Growth Guardian: Product-Planning Intern, received the Outstanding Participation Award