Students from INTI International College Penang’s (IICP) Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering programme emerged as bronze winners in the Hyundai Elevator Idea Contest. Eng Jay See, Norfaradina Ab Ghafar, and Wong Yu Keat took home the bronze while Soh Eu Jhern and Tan Jien Sheen earned the consolation prize.
Hyundai Elevator, a leader in the elevator industry, hosted the “Think Outside The Box” contest in six countries namely Korea, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Turkey. The contest themed “Smart elevators in the 4th industrial revolution era” ran from 19 August to 19 September 2022. Winners were announced on 30 November.
Eng Jay See, Norfaradina Ab Ghaffar, and Wong Yu Keat took home the bronze while Soh Eu Jhern and Tan Jien Sheen earned the consolation prize at the Hyundai Elevator Idea Contest 2022.
According to Ashwindran Naidu Sanderasagran, a lecturer at the School of Engineering, the contest allowed students to integrate design techniques with state-of-the-art technology, directly cultivating the Industrial Revolution 4.0 also known as IR4.0. He emphasised that students should be aligned with current trends and the institution’s objective in thriving towards success.
He said the contest presented them with challenging and advanced design features and processes, which required them to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions.
“They honed their modelling skills and further developed their abstract thinking abilities by applying the idea of new technology, new interior design, and new concept of unique culture,” he explained.
As a lecturer, Ashwindran provided advised the teams on the practicality and feasibility of their proposed designs, helping them to refine their ideas.
“The students engaged actively in the process of brainstorming ideas and constructive discussions. It showed their determination to win and their dedication to make it happen,” said the proud lecturer.
Thirty-two-year-old Norfaradina, who teamed up with Eng Jay See and Wong Yu Keat, said the win would be a great memory in their friendship and was a great opportunity to showcase their abilities and talents.
Ashwindran Naidu Sanderasagran, a lecturer at the School of Engineering, said the competition allowed students to integrate design techniques with state-of-the-art technology.
“Though we have collaborated on a few projects since our first year of study, this is the first time we joined a competition together. This is a special moment and I could not be more proud of my team,” said Norfaradina.
Norfaradina explained that their entry, the Caeliscalpium Elevator, was inspired by the KL Tower, Melaka’s Taming Sari Panoramic Tower, and the Alor Setar Tower in Kedah. They incorporated both the aesthetic elements as well as functional mechanism aspects of these unique Malaysian landmarks into their design.
“Our elevator design still adopts the conventional mechanical pulley system found in many elevators in the world, but we decided to design 4 segments of elevators that together make up a torus shaped elevator unit with glass walls surrounding a vertical garden in the middle, and panoramic view of the building the elevator is serving on the outside. This is particularly to provide the users with an amazing and fun elevator ride,” she described.
According to Norfaradina, each competition has its challenges but teamwork and guidance from their lecturer helped them face those challenges and gain enough confidence to create a competitive and innovative design.
“This competition has given me invaluable experience and I believe that if you never try, you’ll never know how far you can go,” she said with a smile.
Meanwhile, Tan Jien Sheen, 24, who teamed up with Soh Eu Jhern, expressed pride in having taken part in the competition.
“I was happy that our effort was rewarded and recognized. This competition has been a fantastic opportunity for me and Eu Jhern to put our skills and knowledge to the test and to also learn from each other,” said Jien Sheen.
Norfaradina Ab Ghafar, a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering student at INTI International College Penang, believes good teamwork and effective communication are essential for success.
According to Jien Sheen, they took superconductivity as the working principle of their “Futuristic Transport” design.
“Our design is a set of properties where certain materials exhibit when close to absolute zero,” said Jien Sheen, adding that this principle has been used to develop advanced technologies.
Jien Sheen cited that the main challenge they faced during the design phase was creating an eye-catching design that was innovative in the technical aspects of the design. It required them to strike a balance between aesthetics and functionality for a visually appealing design that boasted remarkable engineering as well.
“Despite the challenges, our lecturer was there to inspire us and be our mentor. For that, I am very blessed for his guidance and opportunity,” he added.
He concluded that such competitions were great platforms for students to grow and learn additional skills outside of their curriculum.