Muzium Negara’s 60th Anniversary features Digital Launch Gimmick by APU students

Thasne Rames, Low Yinn Ean, and Khor Chin Yee are excited and proud to be part of such an important event, and they describe it as a great learning experience.

Minister of National Unity Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang put his hands on Double to launch the montage screening during the launch of the Muzium Negara’s 60th Anniversary.  

Three students from Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) were involved in launching a gimmick for the Muzium Negara’s (National Museum) 60th Anniversary at the Muzium Negara, Kuala Lumpur on 1st September 2023.

Thasne Rames and Low Yinn Ean, first-year diploma students in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Schools of Engineering (SoE), are already making waves in the robotics community. 

As members of the Asia Pacific Centre of Robotics Engineering (APCORE), they have been developing innovative robots that could revolutionize the way we live and work.

Khor Chin Yee, a final-year Multimedia Technology student from the Schools of Computing (SoC), is also a force to be reckoned with. 

She recently completed an internship at XR Studio, where she worked on developing cutting-edge augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences.

These three young students are proof that the future of technology is bright. With their talent, creativity, and passion, they are sure to make a significant impact on the world.

The gimmick used a robot called the Double, which is a telepresence robot that can be controlled online and is built with a gyro sensor to balance on two wheels and navigate using an online control with a phone or personal computer.

The robot was controlled by students for the launch and had a 3D-printed palm scanner attached to it, which National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang used to launch the montage screening prepared by the XR Studio team.

The gimmick team was led by Ts. Dr. Siti Azreena Mubin, Senior Lecturer/XR Studio Lead and backed by Ts. Suresh Gobee, School of Engineering (SoE) Senior Lecturer.

From left: Ts. Suresh Gobee, Thasne Rames, Low Yinn Ean, Ts. Dr. Siti Azreena Mubin, and Khor Chin Yee were all key players behind the scenes of the Muzium Negara’s 60th Anniversary gimmick.​

The students were excited to be a part of such an important event, and they described it as a fantastic learning opportunity. They are grateful for the opportunity to take part in the launch and are proud to have contributed to the Muzium Negara’s 60th Anniversary celebration.

The students were praised for their creativity and innovation. They believe that the robot will be a valuable asset to the Muzium Negara and will help to make the museum more accessible to everyone.

Ismail Ali Mohsen Mohammad (red shirt), a Multimedia Technology student on an internship at APU, is assisting its visitors in trying out VR, AR, and XR technology.

The students are looking forward to continuing their work with APCORE and are excited to see what the future holds for them. They are confident that they will continue to make a positive impact on the world through their work in robotics and technology.

Meanwhile, the APU XR Studio team, which included Lecturer Sharizal Pujahaas Jaffar, Virtual Reality Engineer Imran Mahalil, Graduate Research Assistant Mohammad Tahmidul Hasan and three intern students: Low Min Ying, Ng Chun Kai and Ismail Ali Mohsen Mohammed, was present to open a booth and allow people to try out VR, XR, and AR technologies.

Besides Double, which was used in the launch gimmick, APCORE members also created Bob 1 in 2013 and upgraded it to Bob 2 in 2014, as well as Ela 1 in 2015, with an upgrade to Ela 2 in progress since 2022.

Bob and Ela are two robots produced under APCORE.​

APCORE is a research centre that focuses on humanoid robot development, robotic sensors, robotic vision, and biomedical robotics.

The centre’s objective is to develop robotic technology that will help humans and improve their quality of life by collaborating with industry to improve efficiency and solve manufacturing problems using robotics technology, as well as to motivate and inspire students to become involved in robotics technology.

As Malaysia's first XR Studio, this facility gives students enrolled in Computer Game Development, Multimedia Technology, Engineering, Animation, and Visual Effects programs hands-on experience while developing projects and assignments centred on these technologies.

The APU XR (Meta) Studio is a first-of-its-kind facility that comprises technologies capable of developing Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) applications. 

Developed in partnership with Ministry XR Malaysia, the studio is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities which include a 360-degree volumetric video capture zone, EDEX (extended education experience) station, VolCap propriety software, mixed reality smart glasses in the form of Microsoft HoloLens and high specification gaming standard workstations.

The EDEX Station serves as an XR/Spatial Computing laboratory, designed for shared and collaborative education experiences that excite, inspire and stimulate. This immersive space enables technological experiments, research and teaching developments within instructional design.

This partnership is part of the academia-industry collaboration which continues to be APU’s primary strength in having industry-on-campus, driving its offering and leading to assurance of high employability for APU graduates.