KUALA LUMPUR: Young innovators from SK Long Sait, Sarawak, reached the Grand Finals of the Petrosains RBTX Challenge 2024.

Their project, The Irrigator, demonstrates their Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills while addressing the drought issues affecting their community’s rice fields, vital to their families' and community’s livelihoods.
 
Each season, villagers face the challenge of dying crops due to water shortages and wildlife invasion. The Irrigator automates crop watering, monitors plant health, and uses a fence to keep animals away, ensuring better crop protection.
 
The team recently won the Tech4All category in Sarawak, gaining recognition for their innovative and community-focused solution.
 
A new addition this year for Petrosains RBTX Challenge 2024 was the Indigenous Culture & Technology sub-category under the Innovation category, in which 267 Indigenous children from the Peninsula, Sabah, and Sarawak participated.

This effort reflected a collective commitment to digital inclusion and community development, empowering these Indigenous participants with vital STEM knowledge to innovate towards a more sustainable future.

In a statement, Chief Executive Officer of Petrosains Sdn Bhd, Ezarisma Azni Mohamad said as the social impact arm of PETRONAS, Petrosains is deeply honoured and humbled to be entrusted with the mission of inspiring and enhancing STEM literacy within the community, both near and far. 

"Petrosains RBTX Challenge is aligned with PETRONAS' sustainability goals and its vision of being a progressive energy and solutions partner that enriches lives for a sustainable future,” said Ezarisma. 
 
Now in its sixth edition, this year’s robotics competition received an overwhelming response, with 1,952 teams and over 7,000 participants from Malaysia and other countries, including Brunei and Indonesia.
 
Since its inception in 2018, Petrosains RBTX Challenge has empowered over 77,000 robotics enthusiasts to learn, discover, and showcase their robotic creations on a shared platform.
 
The competition provided participants essential training in basic design, coding, and sensor technology for robotics development. 437 teams were shortlisted as finalists, competing at Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara, for top honours across three main categories, namely Innovation, Robo Sumo, and Robo Tracer.
  
Centred on sustainability, the competition encouraged participants to adopt sustainable practices and develop projects that contribute to a more sustainable way of life.

This included addressing critical issues such as waste reduction, energy conservation, environmental protection, and more.
 
Winners across all categories were awarded cash prizes of RM2,500, while the second and third-place winners received RM1,500 and RM1,000 respectively.
 
The prize-giving ceremony was officiated by Petrosains Board of Directors Chairperson, Nik Rosmanie Nik Mohamad and Ezarisma. -UKASnews