Detector for babies left in cars wins innovators challenge
Aprototype to prevent infant deaths after being left in vehicles clinched the top prize at the Sime Darby Young Innovators Challenge (SDYIC) 2018 National Championship.
The prototype was developed by Team Smart e-Saver comprising Joseph Chung, 16, and Thomas Brabbs, 15, from Tunku Putra International School, Kuching, Sarawak.
This is Chung’s second win at the championship. Chung won the SDYIC 2016 National Championship with the Robin Food app idea that is now a fullfledged app connecting supermarkets and restaurants to food banks which distributes excess food to the needy.
Team Smart e-Saver’s invention beat 14 other prototypes created by teams from schools across seven states to win the coveted top spot.
The team designed the prototype after being moved by news articles on babies dying in vehicles after being left by their parents. The invention uses a sensor to detect babies left in vehicles that are switched off and sends a signal to the caretaker’s smartphone that the baby is left in the car.
They won a YSD innovation grant up to RM50,000 to develop and upscale their prototype to a viable business solution and a regional educational visit.
The winning teams were announced at the #MyDigitalMaker Fair at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, which was attended by Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) acting chairman Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Wan Mohd Zahid Mohd Noordin.
Wan Mohd Zahid said the innovation challenge provides a platform for students from all over Malaysia to sharpen their thought processes relevant to innovation and empower them to develop innovative solutions for real-world problems, a much needed skill in the country.
He commended the strong support extended by 44 secondary schools in Sabah and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) to participate in the state-level competition towards competing in SDYIC 2018.
He said that out of the total 820 participating teams in the state-level Young Innovators Challenge (YIC) 2018 competitions held nationwide, a total of 150 teams hailed from schools all over Sabah, supported by Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
“The students came from as far as Semporna to participate in the Sabah state-level competition held in Kota Kinabalu. Some had even raised their own funds to cover their travelling expenses to attend the state-level competition,” he said.
“I am impressed by their passion to take part in a competition which inculcates innovative thinking and skills in students. This shows the extent of Sabah leadership in education, which has created a culture of earnest determination in wanting to achieve the highest standards in education development, especially towards innovation and problemsolving,” he added.
“This is a positive indication that the education system is moving in the right direction to prepare talent for the nation’s future labour market. I am proud to state that we at Sime Darby are doing our part to empower youths to seize opportunities and gain knowledge that will help put them on the path to success,” he said.
In the SDYIC 2018, participants had the opportunity to meet industry experts, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professionals and other enthusiasts in the field of innovative technology who provided knowledge, solutions, information on market validation and entrepreneurial skills to the students.
The SDYIC 2018 is part of MDEC’s #mydigitalmaker movement, a joint public-private-academia initiative to transform Malaysian youth from digital users to producers in the digital economy.