PENANG, MALAYSIA – JANUARY 2024 – In line with efforts to nurture a robust local talent pipeline in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), ViTrox Corporation proudly co-sponsored two teams in the FIRST® Tech Challenge 2024/2025 robotics competition. ViTrox engineers volunteered as mentors, guiding the teams in designing and building robots capable of performing specific tasks, such as picking up objects and placing them in designated areas to score points.
The event was organized by Penang Science Cluster (PSC), a non-profit educational organization dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among Malaysian youth. The FIRST® Tech Challenge Malaysia Season 2024/2025 attracted students from 20 schools, forming 20 teams.
Each team, comprising approximately seven to ten students, was paired with industry engineers who volunteered as mentors. The competition provided a platform for students to apply STEM concepts in real-world scenarios, enhancing their problem-solving and teamwork skills.
Since the programme started, six ViTrox engineers with expertise in robotics and programming filled their weekend schedules to mentor two groups of secondary school students from SMJK Chung Ling Butterworth and SMK Convent Datuk Keramat. "It was a nice experience being a mentor for the competition. We got to help the students and share some technical knowledge and good engineering practices with them." said Engineer Yau Jing Wen, team Zero's Mentor.
Our ViTrox engineers dedicated their weekends by mentoring participants at both the ViTrox Makerspace and their schools. At Makerspace, they mentored students in developing their robotics skills, including CAD design, electronic schematics and 3D printing. This innovative hub fostered collaboration, allowing the participants with shared interests in technology to work on projects, exchange ideas, and share knowledge. Additionally, the engineers visited the respective teams’ schools to provide personalised and hands-on coaching, ensuring each team received the support needed to excel in the competition.
The five-month project was challenging yet rewarding for the students, as many had limited prior knowledge of electrical and electronic engineering, computer programming, and industrial design. Through the project, they gained valuable insights and skills not only from the coaches but also from their seniors who had previously participated in past years.
The teams mentored by our ViTrox engineers, Team Redshift and Team Zero, showcased remarkable talent and determination by securing an impressive total of six awards, including the highly coveted Winning Alliance Award—a true testament to their hard work, dedication, and outstanding teamwork.
The awards include:
Winning Alliance Award: Awarded to the winning alliance in the final match of the playoffs at a single-division tournament or championship event. For dual-division or multi-division events, this award is given to both the division playoff winners and the event finals playoff winners.
Design Award: Won by Team Redshift for their exceptional demonstration of industrial design principles in their robot. Their creation stood out for being both visually impressive and highly functional.
Motivate Award: Secured by Team Zero, this award honours teams that exemplify the essence of teamwork and inspire others to embrace the values of collaboration and innovation.
Inspire Award (2nd Place): Team Redshift also earned second place in this prestigious category, which recognises teams that truly embody the “challenges” of the programme and excel in STEM fields.
Compass Award: This award honours an outstanding coach or mentor who has been an incredible guide and source of inspiration to their team. The winner was Ms. Yau Jing Wen, a ViTrox engineer and coach for Team Zero, chosen based on heartfelt testimonials from her team members.
This incredible accomplishment would not have been possible without the unwavering dedication and guidance of our ViTrox mentors, who played a pivotal role in supporting the teams:
Team Redshift
(SMJK Chung Ling Butterworth)
Liang Zhi Hou – AGT (R&D)
Ng Jia Sheng – AGT (R&D)
Andrew Yap Jiun Herng – MVST (MFG)
Team Zero
(SMJK Convent Dato Keramat)
1. Kang Tek Pei – MVS-CM (R&D)
2. Wong Yat Weng – ECS (R&D)
3. Yau Jing Wen – ECS (R&D)
Their unwavering effort and expertise have inspired and empowered the students to reach new heights during the competition.