NEWS: Robot champs

THE year started with a bang for University Putra Malaysia (UPM), who dominated the inaugural Malaysia University Robot Competition 2010 recently.

Winning two out of the three main categories – the Paintball Robot and the Rope Climbing Robot – UPM also finished second in the Fire Fighting Robot category, which was won by Universiti Teknologi Mara.

The varsity also bagged the best robot design awards for the two categories which they won.
Last minute touch: Students making sure their robot is in order. The university won two out of three categories as well as the best robot design award.

UPM final-year Electric and Electronic Engineering student Mohd Safuan Mohd Somari, 25, said that his team comprised eight Engineering students who had conducted countless tests to produce the winning robots.

“Preparations lasted a month including tests involving actual paintball games,” said Mohd Safuan who was the team leader of the Paintball Robot team.

He added that his team was seasoned as it had participated in various competitions in the past, winning the best design award and emerging as first runner-up in last year’s Robogamez.

Meanwhile, Mohd Afiq Abdul Ghafar, 20, who headed the Rope Climbing Robot team said that their hard work paid off as the team had made many adjustments to the design in the build-up to the competition.

However, he admitted that there was still a tinge of regret.

“Although we assessed that our robot could clear the challenge in under 10 seconds, we are still satisfied with our record of 14 seconds,” he said.

Organised by Universiti Malaysia Perlis, the competition attracted 21 teams comprising around 170 students from seven public higher education institutions, including polytechnics.

Winners in each category bagged RM1,500 and a trophy.