SHANGHAI, Aug. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DFRobot, a global provider of open-source hardware and technology solutions, participated in TAMYZ FORUM 2026, the August Education Forum in Astana, Kazakhstan, where DFRobot Vice President Sandy Zhang delivered a keynote titled "Advancing AI Education Through Practical Innovation." She shared DFRobot's experience in open-source hardware, artificial intelligence, STEM education, and building a global ecosystem for developers and innovators.
Held August 17–18 in Astana, TAMYZ FORUM 2026 is organized by the Astana City Education Department and the Astana City Methodological Center under the theme "Strategic Development of the Education System: Constitutional Values, Artificial Intelligence and Human Capital." The two-day forum brings together educators, experts, and technology innovators, with around 3,000 in-person participants, 20,000 online participants, and 15 thematic sessions.
AI Education: From Using Tools to Understanding and Creating
During her keynote, Sandy Zhang noted that although different regions are taking different approaches to AI education, several common priorities are emerging worldwide, including curriculum development, student skills, teacher training, and responsible use of AI.
North America is developing AI education frameworks and curriculum standards, Europe is placing strong emphasis on AI literacy, ethics, and governance, while many Asian countries are moving from pilot programs to broader implementation. The policies may be different, but they share several priorities: curriculum standards, student competencies, teacher development, and responsible AI use.
At the same time, students are increasingly using AI tools in their daily lives, while many teachers and schools are still exploring how to effectively teach with and about AI.
"What's important is not simply teaching students how to use AI, but helping them understand how it works, question its outputs, and use technology to create and solve real-world problems," said Sandy. She emphasized that AI education should help learners develop a developer mindset—understanding how technology works, thinking critically about data and AI outputs, and turning ideas into practical solutions through hands-on experimentation.
Hands-On Learning Makes AI More Understandable
Sandy shared DFRobot's experience using open-source hardware to make AI more tangible in the classroom.
In one example, students use the HUSKYLENS 2 AI Vision Sensor to collect and label data, train AI models, and deploy them to hardware for real-time visual recognition. Because different groups may use different datasets, their models can produce different results. This allows teachers to demonstrate how data affects AI performance and encourage students to test, analyze, and improve their models.
Through this process, students can see how AI works rather than simply using a pre-trained service. AI becomes something they can observe, test, and improve instead of an abstract "black box." Topics including data privacy, algorithmic bias, and responsible use of technology can also be incorporated into these projects.
AI Hardware Meets STEM Education
Sandy also highlighted that supporting AI education and innovation requires more than individual hardware products. DFRobot has developed an integrated ecosystem spanning hardware, software, curriculum, platforms, and services, with solutions covering AI, ICT, and STEAM education.
DFRobot provides easy-to-use AI hardware, robotics products, sensors, and development modules, while its Mind+ programming platform lowers the barrier to AI and hardware development. It also offers curriculum resources, teacher training, hands-on projects, and competition support to help schools, educators, and developers turn technology into real-world applications.
This integrated approach enables DFRobot to support a broad community of innovators—from K–12 students, educators, and universities to developers, makers, and researchers—providing the tools and resources they need to learn, build, and innovate.
Expanding the Global Developer Ecosystem
Building the future of AI education and innovation requires collaboration across governments, international organizations, universities, schools, technology companies, and local communities.
DFRobot has participated in international platforms including UNESCO and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), and has worked with institutions such as Kathmandu University in Nepal and Chiang Mai University in Thailand on curriculum development and teacher training. The company also supports international robotics and innovation competitions, helping connect education with broader developer and maker communities.
In closing, Sandy emphasized the importance of building an open and collaborative ecosystem that enables more people to participate in technology innovation.
"Our shared goal is to help every learner develop creativity, practical problem-solving skills, and basic AI literacy, while learning to use technology responsibly," she said.
DFRobot will continue to pursue its mission of "serving innovators and developers worldwide," expanding collaboration across education and technology communities and making open-source hardware and AI technologies more accessible to people who want to learn, build, and create.
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DFRobot VP Speaks at TAMYZ FORUM 2026 on AI Education and Global Developer Ecosystem
