Building Academic Knowledge into Competition-winning Robots

Thanks to combat robotics, the already vibrant Makers Club of TAR UMT have upped their game where members inadvertently started building something even more valuable than their physical projects. This is understandable as combat robotics ignites the thrill of destruction while showcasing acute technological spectacle and innovation.

Having been actively involved in combat robotic competitions since 2023, the latest achievement of its members was emerging as Champions (16kg multibot category) of the ASEAN Youth Robot Challenge 2025 (ASEAN Y-RoboC’25), held in July of this year. Organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in conjunction with Malaysia’s Chairmanship of ASEAN 2025, the event aimed to enhance skills in technology, engineering, and robotics among ASEAN youth, highlighting the importance of digital innovation, and strengthening the preparedness of the future workforce.

“As soon as we were crowned champions, we were absolutely relieved considering how much time and effort we put into building and modifying the robots in time for the competition. Even though six members were officially registered for the competition, this success belongs to every club member contributing and helping us every step of the way,” said team leader Aingkaran a/l Selvam, a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons) student.

Megan Chong Mae Gern, from the Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering (Hons), further explained: “For every problem we encountered, we had members brainstorming solutions, giving suggestions, and helping in every way possible. We persevered because none of the members thought of giving up, despite the setbacks and challenges.”

“We are also thankful to TAR UMT for having the necessary equipment like the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine which we used to manufacture our own custom parts in order to modify and improve the robot designs, and make modifications to the robots. On top of that, we have to credit our club advisors, Ir Dr Chiew Tsung Heng (Programme Leader, Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FOET)) and Mr Tan Yong Li (Lecturer, FOET) for always supporting our club activities and aspirations,” added Tham Y-Herng, a student from the Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Hons) programme.

Adding on to the students’ sharing, Mr Tan further elaborated: “Our club members demonstrated that they can bring together their diverse set of knowledge and skills from their respective fields such as mechatronics, material manufacturing, electronics engineering, programming, and computer sciences – which they apply to the process of building effective and functional robots. On top of that, access to the facilities means students are already proficient in handling the machines and manufacture the parts they need themselves. This do-it-yourself, innovative, and problem-solving mindset is what we are looking to cultivate through our club activities.”