Team APU emerges champion
Published on: Friday, January 19, 2024
Team APU with Prof Dr Azlinda Azman, Director-General of Higher Education (third from left), Ms Cindy Lopez, General Manager of Corporate Relations, Shell Malaysia (fourth from left), Ir Eur Ing, Dr Lau Chee Yong, their mentor lecturer from SoE, APU (first from right).
Kuala Lumpur: Team APU from Asia Pacific University of Technology emerged victorious at the Shell Selamat Sampai Varsity Challenge, capturing the hearts of judges with their ground breaking innovation, the Guardian Defence Unit – a motorcycle rear blind spot detection system, recently.
This monumental win not only showcased the team’s ingenuity but also marked a pivotal moment as they became the first from a private university to secure the top spot in a competition traditionally dominated by public universities.
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The team received a cash prize of RM10, 000, individual champion medals and a trophy.
Themed ‘Innovate! Captivate! Safe Lives!’ Shell’s road safety programme for tertiary education students aimed to empower Malaysia universities and college students to propose innovative science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) solutions for road safety.
Team APU’s project focuses on preventing accidents and reducing injury severity in motorcycle transportation, addressing critical road safety issues.
According to the winning team, G.D.U plays an essential role in enhancing motorcycle safety, making transportation safer for everyone.
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The team comprised Aaron Raj Bhatti and Cajun Tai Ka Joon, studying for a Bachelor of Mechatronic Engineering, along with Ronak Robert Vijai who graduated from the said programme, and Sharen Chrisan Fabian Perera, a Diploma in Electric and Electronic Engineering student.
Mentored by Dr Lau Chee Yong, Senior Lecturer at APU’s School of Engineering, the team brought diverse skills to the project, including coding, CAD drawing, hardware integration, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
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The Guardian Defence Unit is a motorcycle rear blind spot detection system, inspired by real-life accidents. The project uses a Robotic Operating System (ROS) to create a framework integrated with a 2D Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) module placed on top of the motorcycle’s number plate. The LiDAR detects objects within a threshold range, and LEDs change colours (blue for warning, green for danger) to alert the rider.
“The project was inspired by a real-life accident that I faced. Hence we worked on a project to help mitigate potential accidents for other road users,” said group leader, Aaron, while emphasising the importance of their project in saving lives.
“Winning the Shell Selamat Sampai Varsity Challenge is a remarkable achievement that will significantly enhance their knowledge and skills while charting a promising career trajectory,” said Lau.
“This victory showcases their adeptness in addressing real-world challenges, emphasising not just technical proficiency but also critical problem-solving and teamwork.
The multidisciplinary nature of the competition has equipped them with a holistic approach to problem-solving, fostering adaptability and effective communication,” Lau added.
The 2023 grand finale was judged by a panel of distinguished individuals, including experts from the Ministry of Higher Education, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, and Shell Malaysia’s High-Risk Transport Road Safety Advisor.
The challenge, which began with a video proposal submission, involved a 12-week project development phase, a virtual boot camp, and judging sessions.
The theme focused on leveraging STEM to address road safety challenges.
Team APU was one of the five finalist teams that competed against students from Universiti Malaya, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka.
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