Graduating with a First-Class Honours degree in Mechatronics Engineering from Australia, Le Long Thinh (born in 2000, Ho Chi Minh City) is highly regarded as one of the most promising young talents in the field of robotics research and production. The young Vietnamese talent has successfully garnered numerous awards in this field even as a student.
Nurturing a Passion from Toy Building Blocks
Since childhood, every trip to the bookstore with his father would spark Long Thinh’s fascination with motor-equipped building blocks that could be assembled in various ways. These toys stimulated the creativity of the elementary school student, igniting his imagination and inspiring him to create a myriad of interesting shapes and structures.
“I loved them, but I never dared to ask my father to buy them for me because they were too expensive,”
Long Thinh recalled. This marked the beginning of his interest in assembly and machinery. In secondary school, he discovered programming and dreamed of creating unique products that would satisfy his vivid imagination.
Portrait of the robot enthusiast. (Photo: NVCC)
Long Thinh, a former student of Chu Van An Secondary School, reminisced:
“In 9th grade, my school offered a course on assembling LEGO Mindstorm robots, so I asked my parents to let me enroll. By the end of the course, I achieved the highest score, and my teachers recognized my potential, encouraging me to compete in the WRO 2014 competition.”
Despite being new to the field, Long Thinh surprised his peers and teachers by winning the WRO 2014 championship. He then represented Vietnam in the international competition held in Sochi, Russia. Although he did not win any prizes there, he gained invaluable experience. In the following years, the young talent went on to secure two third prizes at WRO 2019 and WRO 2020.
Initially participating with a mindset of testing his abilities and learning from others, the unexpected achievements boosted Long Thinh’s confidence in his chosen path—a path intertwined with machinery and automation.
Long Thinh’s passion grew with him as he advanced to higher education. He opted for an international transfer program in Mechatronics at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. After completing the program in Vietnam, he continued his studies in Australia, pursuing a degree at the University of Technology Sydney.
Long Thinh quickly adapted to his overseas studies, partly due to his enthusiasm for his chosen field. During his time at the university, he was fortunate to be selected by professors to participate in significant competitions.
In his final year of university, Long Thinh had the opportunity to showcase his project—a robotic arm that could draw portraits—at the University Exhibition Day. His team won two top prizes and was nominated to attend the Sydney Technology Day.
For Long Thinh, these awards not only enhanced his resume but also opened doors to future career opportunities. These accomplishments boosted the young Vietnamese talent’s confidence in the field of robotics and technology.
Long Thinh’s impressive haul of robotics awards. (Photo: NVCC)
Turning Passion into a Startup
Even as a student, the young man born in 2000 has always aspired to create value not only for himself but also for the community. Therefore, he chose to venture into the field of 3D printing (assembling and trading 3D printers, CNC milling machines, and laser engraving machines…).
“In the initial stages of assembling and trading 3D printers, I faced financial and technical challenges. Fortunately, during this difficult time, my classmate Ngo Ho Minh Quang, who studied at the same faculty at the University of Technology, was willing to provide financial support,”
shared Long Thinh.
With the help of his family and friends, Long Thinh overcame the initial obstacles. He began creating products with practical applications, quickly gaining recognition. This endeavor also allowed him to save a small amount of money from trading 3D-printed products before embarking on his overseas studies.
Continuing his passion in Australia, Long Thinh conceived a well-thought-out business idea. However, due to limited financial resources, he had to start with small-scale, accessible activities.
“During a Technology Day event, I came up with the idea of selling 3D-printed picture frames. Instead of using robots to draw on plain A4 paper, we improved the software, changed the picture frames, and adjusted the paper size to create 3D products that people could take home as souvenirs,”
Long Thinh explained.
Long Thinh poses with a 3D-printed dinosaur model. (Photo: NVCC)
After planning, Long Thinh immediately embarked on the design process. He contemplated how to make the picture frames unique, captivating, adorable, and more compact.
“After a period of exploration, I wanted to create 3D picture frames similar to the Instagram interface. To make each product unique, I specially designed an additional name engraving feature at the bottom,”
Long Thinh shared.
Long Thinh’s 3D-printed products gained immense popularity and were sold in large quantities. Through each creative endeavor, he derived valuable lessons that contributed to his business acumen.
Currently, Long Thinh works as a mechanical engineer while also running a company specializing in providing solutions and products related to 3D printing. Regarding this decision, Long Thinh revealed that he considers Vietnam as the “ideal place” to start his entrepreneurial journey, intending to “return and contribute to his homeland after gaining sufficient experience abroad.”
In addition, the young talent born in 2000 also owns two Tiktok and YouTube channels dedicated to sharing this novel and exciting field with many young people.
Praised as a “young talent,” Long Thinh humbly attributes his success to his fortunate opportunity to pursue his passion and strengths. Reflecting on the ups and downs of his journey, Long Thinh expressed his determination to strive harder to live up to the expectations of those around him.
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