Monash shines at Itex 2018

> Competition aimed at cultivating critical thinking

THE annual International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (Itex) this year culminated with the announcement of awards conferred to inventions. Winners were judged on novelty, inventiveness, usefulness and application, presentation and demonstration, market and commercial potential, and environmental friendliness.

Organised by the Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS), the aim of the exhibition is to cultivate the ability to think critically, which is a quality that separates innovators from followers.

This year, Monash Malaysia made a clean sweep. All of its eight inventions by its researchers received awards – two gold, three silver and three bronze.

Of its two gold winners were a green approach which capitalised on the use of a local fungal strain called penicillium citrinum for biofungicide development; and a hydrogelbased biosensor that makes for a simpler point-of-care method in diagnosing Hepatitis B infection. The researchers behind the winning inventions are from the School of Science (for the former), and School of Engineering & Advanced Engineering Platform (the latter).

Obtaining the silver awards were firstly, a method that is automated and nondestructive in detecting cracks in high precision aluminium casting; followed by a herbal supplement called Lanctos 75TM that aids in mental wellness; and finally a collaborative learning process that enables “active learning” through the establishment of an ecosystem of multi-touch tabletop computers (within a smart lab). The brains behind these creations comprised those from the School of Engineering & Advanced Engineering Platform; Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences who worked with an associate professor from Universiti Sains Malaysia; and lastly, from once again, the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Inventions that won the bronze awards included a wearable circadian lux sensor which mainly calculates the amount of light the wearer is exposed to that affects his/her circadian rhythm. The second is a mobile app which allows hearing-impaired persons to book services of a Sign Language Interpreter (SLI) by appointment or on-demand using free video calling features and the third, development of a novel integrated platform for halal testing. The creators of these come from Monash Malaysia’s School of Engineering, Advanced Engineering Platform & Intelligent Lighting Platform; the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences & Global Asia in the 21st Century Platform who worked with individuals from Arc Worldwide Malaysia and the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf; followed by the School of Science & Global Asia in the 21st Century Platform.

More information on these winning innovations can be found on www.monash.edu. my/research