Robotic contest platform to develop students’ creativity, innovation
BINTULU: The National Robotics Competition is the best platform to develop creativity and innovation in design and problemsolving skills among the young generation.
Bintulu Education officer Abdul Muin Abdul Kassim said one of the the competition’s objectives was to create innovative individuals ready to explore new things. This was in line with the country’s aspiration in realising Malaysia’s human potential through science and technology.
“These students create opportunities from the people’s problems and they find solutions to the problems,” he said at the closing and prize-giving ceremony of the state-level competition at Bintulu Times Square Megamall on Wednesday.
Carrying the theme ‘ Rap the scrap - Robots for reducing, managing and recycling waste’, the competition was the second time that Bintulu Education office was hosting the competition.
The competition was designed to develop skills and inspire enthusiasm among students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“It required the students to use their creativity and problem- solving skills to build robots capable of completing a range of challenges,” he said.
Sasbadi Holding Berhad marketing assistant manager Eric Wong and SMK Bintulu principal Ananthan Subramaniam were also present at the event.
Abdul Muin said although NRC was still new in the Malaysian education system, it had already produced a significant success among the participating teams, especially from Bintulu.
“Malaysia has achieved the most overall champion records in the World Robot Olympiad by winning five times,” he said, adding the quality of the participating teams had increased in each edition.
This year, a total of 11 districts participated in the competition and it is hoped that in the 13th edition next year more districts would take the challenge.
A total of 176 teams from throughout the country will be competing at the national-level competition to grab the slots to represent the country at the World Robot Olympiad 2016, one of the world’s largest robotics competitions for young people, to be held in New Delhi, India in November.
The following teams are champions in their respective categories at the state-level competition: SJK Chung Hua No 6, Padawan (open elementary); SMK Bintulu (open junior high); SMK Jalan Arang, Padawan (open senior high); SMK Mukah (regular junior high - Rookie); SMK Mukah (regular senior high - Rookie); SJKC Tung Hua, Sibu (regular elementary - Pro); SMK Asajaya, Sibu (regular junior high - Pro); SMK Bintulu ( regular senior high - Pro); and SMK Asajaya, Samarahan (NRC Football) .