Eight innovation and design teams from the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)’s Centre of Research and Development for IoT (CREDIT) have made a remarkable impact at the Virtual Innovation Competition (VIC 2024).
Held from 1st March to 31st May 2024, this international event was designed to showcase innovations across various fields. The competition results, announced on 25th June 2024, revealed that all eight participating APU teams were honoured with prestigious awards, reflecting the teams' exceptional creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities.
Among the award-winning teams, Team CoralGuard and Team MAVIGLASSES took home the Gold Award in the “Tertiary - Science and Technology” and “Professional” categories, respectively.
- Team CoralGuard, consisting of students and faculty members, developed an AI-powered marine monitoring drone designed to combat plastic pollution in water bodies. Its advanced features include autonomous navigation, high-resolution cameras, plastic detection sensors, and a swarm capability for coordinated clean-up efforts.
- Team MAVIGLASSES introduced smart glasses designed for remote electrical inspections in industrial settings, showcasing cutting-edge innovation in wearable technology.
Both teams demonstrated APU’s leadership in tech-driven sustainability and industrial solutions, supported by these dynamic, multidisciplinary groups. The university’s other teams also shined, clinching Silver and Bronze awards across a range of categories, as outlined in the table below:
| PROJECT | MEMBERS | DESCRIPTION | AWARD |
| CoralGuard: AI Marine Monitoring Drone | Zainab Yasmin, Darvwesvaar Sivapragasam, Durkesh Ravi Shankar, Yong Shuet Li, Ir Ts Dr Yvette Shaan-Li Susiapan, Dipl-Ing Inv Ir Narendran Ramasenderan, Mr Krishna Ravinchandra, Prof Ir Eur Ing Ts Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam | CoralGuard is an advanced drone designed to tackle plastic pollution on water surfaces using AI and robotics to navigate autonomously and clean water bodies. It features high-resolution cameras, sensors for detecting plastic waste, and swarm capability for coordinated efforts. | Gold (Tertiary - Science and Technology) |
| MAVIGLASSES: Smart Glasses for Industrial Remote Electrical Inspection | Rohit Thomas, Pua Jun Yu, Kannan Uthaya Kumar, Muhammad Ahmed, Dipl-Ing Inv Ir Narendran Ramasenderan, Mr Krishna Ravinchandra, Prof Ir Eur Ing Ts Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam, Assoc Prof Ts Dr Sathish Kumar Selva Perumal | MAVIGLASSES Smart glasses designed for remote electrical inspections in industrial settings. | Gold (Professional) |
| Aurasense: Navigation, Localization & Communication for People with Visual Impairment via Sonar | Kanema Sachingongu, Zainab Yasmin, Durkesh Ravi Shankar, Mohammed Saad Mahmoud AL-Kubaisi, Rayan Raj, Dipl-Ing Inv Ir Narendran Ramasenderan, Mr Krishna Ravinchandra, Prof Ir Eur Ing Ts Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam | A lidar-based navigation system creating real-time auditory maps for visually impaired individuals. | Silver (Tertiary - Science and Technology) |
| Elderstide: Leg Exoskeleton for Muscle Recovery | Sin Jun Yan, Chin Kah Min, Kwan Jun E, Mohamed Ashraf Maged Elgharib Ismail, Dipl-Ing Inv Ir Narendran Ramasenderan, Ir Ts Dr Alexander Chee Hon Cheong, Mr Krishna Ravinchandra, Prof Ir Eur Ing Ts Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam | A leg exoskeleton to improve mobility for elderly individuals, particularly those suffering from osteoporosis. | Silver (Tertiary - Science and Technology) |
| Insight Care: Indoor Patient Tracking System | Tan Chin Wan, Abdullah Nabil Ali Alsoufi, Yuto Tahara, Randall Edwards Abeng, Dipl-Ing Inv Ir Narendran Ramasenderan, Mr Krishna Ravinchandra, Ir Ts Dr Denesh Sooriamoorthy, Ir Dr Hafizul Azizi Ismail | A Wi-Fi-based system that helps hospital staff track patients indoors. | Silver (Tertiary - Science and Technology) |
| Roboretrieve: Intelligent Warehouse Inventory Solution | Nilesyh Chandra Mohgan, Tan Le Ka, Paramasudhen Ravendran, Hang We Yang, Dipl-Ing Inv Ir Narendran Ramasenderan, Ir Dr Hafizul Azizi Ismail, Ir Eur Ing Ts Dr Lau Chee Yong, Ir Ts Dr Denesh Sooriamoorthy | Advanced AI-based warehouse inventory management system. | Silver |
| Greenplay: Sustainability Board Game | Chee Man Shing, Samuel Chow Siet Yam, Dylan Ming Foung, Charran Tridandapani, Muhammad Hafizhan Bin Hamdani, Dipl-Ing Inv Ir Narendran Ramasenderan, Krishna Ravinchandra, Prof Ir Eur Ing Ts Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam, Assoc Prof Ts Dr Sathish Kumar Selva Perumal | A board game teaching sustainability practices. | Bronze (Tertiary - Science and Technology) |
| Ecoquest: Sustainability Smart Board Game | Daryl Chung Jia Hung, Chow Wei Pin, Chee Wen Jing, Thanesh Gunaselan, Dipl-Ing Inv Ir Narendran Ramasenderan, Assoc Prof Ir Dr Siva Kumar Sivanesan, Ir Eur Ing Ts Dr Lau Chee Yong, Assoc Prof Ts Dr Sathish Kumar Selva Perumal | The EcoQuest project transformed a sustainability board game into a more interactive experience to teach kids about global environmental issues, especially the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It featured an automated board with movement and haptic feedback, plus a mobile app offering marine environment quizzes and cloud-based data storage via Firebase. The goal was to boost environmental awareness, improve learning outcomes, and enhance engagement through combined physical and digital gameplay. | Bronze |
The VIC 2024 competition, organised by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and its Digital Information Interest Group (DIGIT36), brought together international participants, fostering cross-border collaboration and knowledge sharing. This platform allowed educators, students, and professionals to present innovative projects aimed at addressing global challenges.
Dipl-Ing Inv Ir Narendran Ramasenderan, Head of the Centre of Research and Development for IoT (CREDIT), concluded by saying, “Our teams' outstanding success at VIC 2024 underscores APU’s commitment to advancing innovation. Through dedication and interdisciplinary collaboration, our students and faculty continue to push the boundaries of technology for the betterment of society.”
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