MARKET DEVELOPMENT
USM Innovators Impress Jury
USM Innovators Impress Jury
15/07/2013 (New Straits Times) - Universiti Sains Malaysia's Engineering Campus emerged overall winners at the recent 3rd Innovate Malaysia Design Competition, beating out more than 180 teams.
The USM team comprising final-year electrical engineering students Heng Peng Zhi, Lau Wei Cheang, and Ho Yoke Keong won over the jury with their invention of a tool to assist oil palm planters in identifying the ripeness of the fruit.
Heng, the group leader, said the tool named Oil Palm Fruit Ripeness Detection Kit for Harvesting Decision was also expected to prevent losses in the event a planter harvests a fruit that is not yet ripe.
"The kit is meant to help planters who have difficulty determining how ripe a fruit is, and were solely dependent on their own expertise," said Heng.
"This machine will help in determining the ripeness of the fruit, and enable planters to harvest ripened fruits."
The trio also walked away with the Best Thesis Award and the National Instruments Award, which came with trophies and cash prizes of RM1,500 and RM5,000, respectively.
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia students won in the Intel Track category, with their invention of a Compact Rehabilitation Robot, which serves to help stroke patients undergo physiotherapy.
Patrick Chin Jun Hua said he and his two friends, Khor Kang Xiang and Fu Suan Kian, created a robot which could stimulate hand movements by stroke patients.
"The tool comes with a video game, where the patient moves the hand to reach the target in the game," Chin said.
The prizes were presented by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar and witnessed by Agilent Technologies deputy president Shidah Ahmad and Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd chief executive officer, Johan Mohammad Merican.
Wahid, in his speech, said the competition showed the role played by the private sector in seeking out new talent in the country.
"Such a programme creates opportunities for students to invent new technologies which can be beneficial to the country.
"I am confident such a cooperation will give prominence to the talents of our youngsters, and at the same time, contribute to the nation's Economic Transformation Programme," he said.
The USM team comprising final-year electrical engineering students Heng Peng Zhi, Lau Wei Cheang, and Ho Yoke Keong won over the jury with their invention of a tool to assist oil palm planters in identifying the ripeness of the fruit.
Heng, the group leader, said the tool named Oil Palm Fruit Ripeness Detection Kit for Harvesting Decision was also expected to prevent losses in the event a planter harvests a fruit that is not yet ripe.
"The kit is meant to help planters who have difficulty determining how ripe a fruit is, and were solely dependent on their own expertise," said Heng.
"This machine will help in determining the ripeness of the fruit, and enable planters to harvest ripened fruits."
The trio also walked away with the Best Thesis Award and the National Instruments Award, which came with trophies and cash prizes of RM1,500 and RM5,000, respectively.
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia students won in the Intel Track category, with their invention of a Compact Rehabilitation Robot, which serves to help stroke patients undergo physiotherapy.
Patrick Chin Jun Hua said he and his two friends, Khor Kang Xiang and Fu Suan Kian, created a robot which could stimulate hand movements by stroke patients.
"The tool comes with a video game, where the patient moves the hand to reach the target in the game," Chin said.
The prizes were presented by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar and witnessed by Agilent Technologies deputy president Shidah Ahmad and Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd chief executive officer, Johan Mohammad Merican.
Wahid, in his speech, said the competition showed the role played by the private sector in seeking out new talent in the country.
"Such a programme creates opportunities for students to invent new technologies which can be beneficial to the country.
"I am confident such a cooperation will give prominence to the talents of our youngsters, and at the same time, contribute to the nation's Economic Transformation Programme," he said.