IUCEL Awards For 5 APU Teams

Agricultural, traditional instruments, protection and system identification bots attract jury's attention in the virtual IIDEL category

Innovation that is stimulated through the education sector, requires a person to be dynamic, resilient, adaptable, innovative, and creative as we have witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This matter was emphasised by International University Carnival on E-Learning (IUCEL) 2022 — a platform that promotes, explores and shares global best practices and expertise in e-learning applications across various learning institutions around the world.

The organiser of IUCEL 2022 theme ‘Innovating Education for a Better Tomorrow’, aims to promote, explore, and share best practises and global expertise in e-Learning at all levels of learning institutions from around the world.

In 2021, Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) won three awards in the Invention, Innovation, and Design on e-Learning (IIDEL) category. The successful trend continued this year where APU took home five awards: four silver and one bronze.

The IIDEL competition featured nearly 300 teams, the majority of which were a final year and postgraduate students from various local universities including international universities from Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.

APU, on the other hand, sent several junior and senior teams to gain experience and showcase their innovative ideas.

Team 1 formed by Cristina Mahanta and her teammates Ghassan Y. J. Rashwan and Wong Tze Byng introduces Chamobot.

Chamobot is a chatbot that promotes Chamomile as a digital learning medium that benefits agricultural producers and diversifies the medium of spreading knowledge.

They build this system for their Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) module in level 1, semester 2 of their Software Engineering Degree, and they are now in their second year.

Tan Xiu Haw, a Diploma in Information and Communication Technology student representing team 2 presented Gambot, an expert system designed to guide and assist people seeking information about Gambus.

This system will ensure users have a great experience by providing them with some quick quizzes as well as bringing back traditional Malay music instruments.

Diploma in Information and Communication Technology with a specialism in Software Engineering students Ng Jian Wei, Tan Siew Nee, and Tan Yi Ting from team 3 presented KomX, a knowledge-based chatbot that promotes Kompang to both locals and foreigners interested in learning more about traditional Malaysian hand drums.

Furthermore, the chatbot can answer any questions a user may have about Kompang, and the topics covered by the KomX chatbot include the history of Kompang, where to buy Kompang, the roles of performers and events where a Kompang performance will take place, and the myth of Kompang.

Ts. Dr Vinothini Kasinathan and Ms Nur Amira Abdul Majid mentored teams 1, 2, and 3 to silver awards.

Chin Choy Yeng's final year project, Face Mask Detection System: Reduce the Spread of Coronavirus, also received silver awards mentored by Ts. Dr. Vinothini Kasinathan and Mrs Hairul Asya Abdul Halim Sithiq.

This Computer Science student with a specialism in Intelligent Systems developed Mask Up, a face mask detection system that would be implemented in educational institutions using deep learning algorithms capable of detecting different types and colours of masks as well as multiple faces at the same time.

Meanwhile, Yap Qin Yue's Covid19 Identification System Using CT Scan Images won a bronze award and was mentored by Ts. Dr Vinothini Kasinathan and Dr Vazeerudeen Hameed.

“All of the students showed interest in developing Bots, and by participating in this competition, they gained their first experience through an online competition and online presentation mode, answering judges and demoing the system live, which is something to be proud of,” said Ts. Dr. Vinothini represented all of the teams.

This carnival and competition hosted by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), allowed academics and students from higher learning institutions to showcase their innovative ideas/products/innovation in areas such as learning analytics, virtual/augmented reality, e-learning pedagogy/approach, multimedia tools, computer applications, mobile and systems applications and other related areas.