Decision notes · Competition · August 2026

Should Miles join Chiang Mai Robot Games 2026?

A family in Chiang Mai pointed us toward another robotics event at the end of this month. We checked the organizer’s site, pulled the real categories and fees, and wrote this so we can decide — calmly — whether Miles should enter.

How this landed on our radar

At the EasyKids sumo competition (early August 2026), we met a family touring with a coach. They were generous with their contact line. Their coach is still too busy for us right now, so we’re still looking at that path — and we started chiangmaistudio.com to explore the journey in public.

Then “Dad there” sent another lead: an education center called EDCO (Educatique Corporation) is organizing a larger competition at the end of August at Yupparaj school. Same town. Different organizer. Worth checking carefully.

Miles’s sumo bot build notes →
Looking for makers in Chiang Mai →

The short answer

Yes — we can attend. Joining as a competitor is still a maybe.

CMRG 2026 is a real, open youth robotics event in Chiang Mai. Registration is online, the entry fee is low, and the venue is local. Whether Miles should compete depends less on “is this legit?” and more on prep time, which category fits, and whether we want another competition weekend so soon after his first sumo ring.

What we verified

Sources we used: the organizer site edco.co.th, the official registration form at edco.co.th/cmrg-register, and the Facebook presence for Chiang Mai Robot Games. Details below match the live registration system (as of when we checked in mid-August 2026).

Event

Chiang Mai Robot Games 2026 (CMRG 2026)
Theme messaging around technology, innovation, and space robotics.

When

28–30 August 2026
Daytime event hours reported as roughly 9:00 AM–7:00 PM (confirm on site closer to the date).

Who runs it

Educatique Corporation Co., Ltd. (EDCO) in collaboration with Yupparaj Wittayalai School.
Contact on their site: phone 095-693-5216, LINE @EDCO.

Fees & registration

The registration form is clear: ฿500 per person, flat rate. That single fee covers every competition category you select for that participant. No extra per-event fee on the form.

  • Register online: edco.co.th/cmrg-register
  • Pay ฿500 (PromptPay / EDCO company account) and upload the slip
  • Pick one or more events + age divisions
  • System issues a code (e.g. CMRG-001) and a downloadable registration card
  • Deadline we were given for registration: until 23 August 2026 — tight, so double-check if we decide to enter

Some flyers and word-of-mouth mention a higher package (around ฿3,400) for a KidBright kit + pre-competition workshop. That does not appear as a required entry fee on the public registration form. Treat kit/workshop packages as optional extras unless EDCO confirms otherwise.

Competition categories (from the official form)

The registration system lists 10 events and about 19 age/weight divisions. Age is calculated from birth year (Buddhist Era) against the competition date.

Main age bands used across most events:

  • Junior — ages 8–14
  • Senior — ages 15–19
  • Open — ages 8–99 (wide participation)

Closest to what Miles already did

  • SUMO RC 1:1 — wireless-controlled sumo; 1 kg and 3 kg; Junior / Senior
  • EasyKids Ring Master — precision & control challenge (Junior 7–12, Advanced 8–18; teams up to 2)

Good if we want something new

  • Line-following — programmable (KidBright / micro:bit only)
  • Line-following — non-programmable
  • Line-following ROVER (Junior only)
  • Innovation project contest (teams up to 4)

Bigger / team / advanced

  • Soccer Robot 1×1 — autonomous (Open; up to 2)
  • Soccer Robot 4×4 — autonomous football (Open + Junior; up to 4)
  • Automatic Car Robot AI (Junior + Open; up to 2)
  • ROS mission robot (Open; up to 2)

Path beyond Chiang Mai?

Organizer messaging (including CMRG Facebook) talks about tickets / opportunities toward Japan. World Robot Games 2026 is planned for Chiba, Japan. We should treat any “qualify for Japan” claim as category-specific and confirmation-needed — ask EDCO which events actually feed an international path before building a plan around it.

What fits Miles right now?

After one sumo weekend, Miles has a real RC two-wheel bot, a lot of wiring scars, and a clearer idea of what competition day feels like. That’s a strong base — not the same as “ready for every category.”

Most realistic competitive options

  1. SUMO RC (1 kg Junior, if age fits) — Same sport family as EasyKids. Rules, weight class, and arena details may differ. Our bot would need a rules check (weight, size, control method, safety) before we pay the ฿500.
  2. EasyKids Ring Master — Same EasyKids name as the earlier event; could be a natural next challenge if the format matches skills he already has (control, precision) rather than a full new robot from zero.
  3. Attend first, compete later — Show up as family spectators / learners, talk to teams, photograph the field, and decide about future EDCO or CMRG events with better prep time.

Harder with only ~2 weeks

  • Autonomous soccer, AI car, and ROS — need platforms and programming we don’t have ready
  • Programmable line-following limited to KidBright / micro:bit — different stack from our Arduino sumo
  • Innovation project — doable only if we already have a clear project story and team

Pros and cons (family decision grid)

Reasons to say yes

  • Local venue — no travel drama
  • Cheap entry (฿500 covers multiple categories)
  • Bigger multi-day youth robotics scene than a single sumo day
  • Chance to meet more kids, coaches, and schools in Northern Thailand
  • SUMO RC and Ring Master overlap with skills Miles already touched
  • Documents well on ChiangMaiStudio — real field notes, not theory

Reasons to wait or only spectate

  • Registration window is short (aim before 23 Aug if competing)
  • Our sumo bot still has integration bugs; rushing repairs for a different ruleset is stressful
  • Coach path we just found is still busy — we may not have mentor support yet
  • Language / briefing materials may be mostly Thai — we should confirm parent support on site
  • Three long days (9–7 reported) is a lot right after a first competition high
  • Japan pathway is exciting marketing; don’t plan the family calendar around it until confirmed

Our working recommendation

Default plan A: register only if we pick one clear category by this week (most likely SUMO RC 1 kg or Ring Master), pass a quick rules check with EDCO/LINE, and Miles still wants another ring — not just Dad wanting more content.

Default plan B (also good): don’t force a half-ready robot. Go as visitors for part of the weekend, learn the formats, collect contacts, and target the next event with better prep — while we keep hunting makers, Sunday hangouts, and that coach connection.

Either way, CMRG 2026 is worth knowing about. It’s a real node in the Chiang Mai youth robotics map, run by EDCO + Yupparaj, with open registration and a price that doesn’t block a family from trying.

Checklist if we decide to enter

  1. Confirm Miles’s age band for Junior / Ring Master divisions
  2. Message LINE @EDCO or call 095-693-5216: rules PDF, robot size/weight, practice schedule, language support
  3. Pick one primary category (optional second only if prep is free)
  4. Register at edco.co.th/cmrg-register before the deadline
  5. Save the CMRG code and registration card image
  6. Do a dry run of the bot against the official rules — not just “it moved last week”
  7. Pack batteries, spare fasteners, tape, tools, and water for long venue days

Useful links

This post is a family decision memo, not an official event page. Rules and schedules can change — always confirm with EDCO before paying or building to a deadline.

Know this event better than we do?

If you’ve competed at CMRG, teach with EDCO, or have a kid in any of these categories, we’d love a heads-up on what first-timers should expect — especially English-speaking families.

Looking for makers Sumo bot notes

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