Hii (far right), Augustus (far left) with the two winning teams from Swinburne Sarawak.
KUCHING: Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus recently won in two out of three categories in the Malaysian leg of Microsoft’s Imagine Cup and has set its sight on winning the world semi-finals of the technology competition.
A combined team of engineering and computing students from Swinburne Sarawak took the top prize in the Innovation category, while their multimedia design peers won in the Games category in the just concluded national level competition at Multimedia University in Cyberjaya.
Each team bagged RM5,000 in prize money and will represent Malaysia in the semi-finals.
Swinburne Sarawak did not compete in the third category, World Citizenship.
The winner in the Innovation category was a device using sensors to guide the visually-challenged. The Mobility and Navigation Aid – Mana in short – attaches to a white cane and alerts the user of obstacles via a Windows mobile device.
It was proposed by students Daniel Vong Wei Liang, Sim Hon Ren, Voon Wei Liang and Ivan Ling Ting Yang.
“The students came up with the idea themselves and I’m proud of their innovative approach, more so for applying the skills and knowledge learnt to make a difference to society’s less fortunate,” said team advisor Dr Almon Chai.
“The team is focusing on the world semi-finals. It will be a tough one but we hope to reach the world finals in the US,” said the robotics and mechatronics programme coordinator.
Swinburne Sarawak multimedia design students Chia Fei Ran, Stella Wang Tze Feng and Sim Jia Ying won the Games category with ‘Tou: The Sacrifice’, a horror exploration game.
“It comes with immersive 3D experience and players have to navigate the game environment in search of clues and solve puzzles to proceed to the next level,” explained lecturer John Hii who advised the team together with design associate dean Augustus Raymond Segar.
The students hope to publish the game – inspired by the culture and folklore of Sarawak’s Melanau community – on Windows desktop or tablet, Windows Phone, Xbox and the coming Hololens incorporated with Windows Band.
If they make it through the semi-finals they will qualify for the world finals in Seattle, US where they stand a chance to win US$50,000 (about RM180,000) plus other prizes.
Imagine Cup is a global student technology programme and competition that provides opportunities for students across all disciplines to team up to use their creativity, passion and knowledge of technology to create applications, games and integrated solutions that can change the way we live, work and play.
Competitors are not required to present completed projects but must be able to demonstrate their idea.
A video describing their project must be submitted and, if shortlisted, the team must present the project to the panel of judges in person and respond to questions.