KUCHING – A self-balancing serving tray designed to keep food and beverage from spilling won third place at the inaugural International Robot PRIDE Competition 2012, recently.
The work of engineering undergraduates from Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, the product so impressed the panel of judges that they presented the students with the Bronze Award and a prize money of RM1,000 for originality and aesthetics.
At the heart of the invention was the utilisation of sensing system and control algorithm, the essential components of a mechatronics system, attached to the bottom of the tray and concealed in a neat pot-like casing. This ensured that the tray, and therefore its contents, remained levelled at 180 degrees.
Responsible for the invention were Swinburne Sarawak Robotics and Automation Club members Mark Tee Kit Tsun, Carmella Sim Lee Yoong, Ivan Ling Ting Yang and William Zon Kok Weng.
The team, supervised by Professor Nazim Mir-Nasiri who heads the robotics and mechatronics program at Swinburne Sarawak, Hudyjaya Siswoyo Jo, lecturer of robotics and mechatronics, and postgraduate student Riady Siswoyo Jo, completed the project in record time.
“From conceptual design, prototype development to the production of promotional items – poster, leaflet and video – it took them about six weeks to complete,” said Hudyjaya.
“Winning the Bronze Award is proof that our students not only have the knowledge and skills in their field of study but that they could also apply them to solve real-world issues,” he added.
The competition was open to academics, researchers, inventors and students from all over the world.
To come out as a winner, each team had to go through three stages of judging conducted by professionals in the field of robotics and mechatronics, including Genci Capi, professor of robotics and artificial intelligence of Toyama University, Japan and Lakmal Seneviratne, professor of mechatronics, King’s College London, UK.
The judging criteria for the competition were based on performance, reliability, innovation, design and exploratory (PRIDE) aspects of the projects.
The objective was to explore and exhibit innovative ideas and design within the scope of robotics, sensors, automation and intelligent systems.
It focused on the fundamental and application of creative engineering and computer technology towards potential exploration as commercial products.
PRIDE was held in conjunction with the 2nd International Symposium on Robotics and Intelligent Sensors 2012 (IRIS 2012) at a popular hotel in Kuching recently.