A team of four students from UTAR Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) and six students from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) was ranked 5th in a highly competitive international competition, namely the RoboCup 2022, organised by RoboCup, Mahidol University Thailand and RoboCup Thailand from 13 July 2022 to 16 July 2022 at Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), Bangkok, Thailand. 

RoboCup is an international scientific initiative that aimed to advance state of the art of intelligent Robots, AI and Automation. The RoboCup@Home league focused on developing service and assistive robot technology with high relevance for future personal domestic applications. The hosting country of RoboCup alternates around various continents. This year Thailand was honoured to host this splendid event under the name RoboCup 2022.

UTAR and UTHM students collaborated to develop a robot that could complete the challenging autonomous tasks given to the robot during the tournament day. The robot was designed to accomplish autonomous household chores while providing companionship to elderly or disabled people. The team aimed to provide a significant impact on society and the environment by improving the quality of life through their invention.

The four students from UTAR were Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Mechanical Engineering student Yong Cherng Liin; Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering (Honours) students Ng Teng Han, Lucas Tay Si Liang, Michelle Loo Tze Xin. They were under the mentorship of Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) academic Ir Dr Danny Ng Wee Kiat.

The team consisting of UTAR students was among the 12 teams that qualified for the competition. There were other teams from China, Germany, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Thailand, and Japan that took part in the competition.

Dr Danny said, “UTAR team has demonstrated a high level of skill in developing the robot creatively and innovatively. The team had a strong sense of teamwork, which is pivotal to triumphing in the competition. Additionally, the team have gained valuable knowledge and skills throughout the process of preparation for the competition. Regardless of the outcome, participating in a high-level competition like RoboCup@Home is a valuable experience that can help to drive innovation and advancement in the field.”

With gratitude to UTAR, Dr Danny added, “Working in UTAR has opened many opportunities to conduct research on robotics. Over the years, the team has dealt with several projects, contributing towards the knowledge needed to participate in the competition.”