JOHOR BAHRU, Nov 26 – The Ultimate Internet of Things Innovation (AIoT) Hackathon: Anything is Possible! is one of the Komuniti@UniMadani programs under the Ministry of Finance Malaysia (MOF). The program is brought by the STEM-RBTK Club under the Department of Electronic & Computer Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FKE), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), in collaboration with Kolej Tuanku Canselor (KTC) through the initiative of Kolej Akademia, Electrical Engineering Student Society (JURUTEK FKE), and the Biomedical Instrumentation and Electronics (BMIE) Research Group. This program also received support from TalentCorp Corporation Malaysia Berhad.
In addition, the program was supported by AT&S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. The AIoT Hackathon 2025 was organized to provide students with early exposure to future technology, foster interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM), and train problem-solving skills. The program also serves as a platform for students to learn how to work in a team, apply design thinking, and produce solutions for real issues within the community or for individuals.
The program began in June 2025 (Phase 1) with a total of 482 entries consisting of 161 teams, covering participation from the states of Johor, Sabah, Kelantan, Selangor, Perak, Melaka, Penang, Terengganu, Kedah, Sarawak, and Pahang. Out of this total, 102 teams were shortlisted for Phase 2, which took place in August at UTM Johor Bahru.
Phase 2 was themed “TinkerKit IoT Workshop Advancing Innovation,” where all selected teams received a TinkerKit set for initial testing and assembly trials. Throughout the previous Phase 1 and 2, participants learned the basics of programming, the use of sensors, and the construction of Internet of Things (IoT) innovation projects using the TinkerKit learning set, based on the ESP32 microcontroller.
Subsequently, Phase 3, or the Grand Finale, was themed “AI-driven Innovation with Raspberry Pi and TinkerKit.” Here, 40 selected teams upgraded their projects using Raspberry Pi, a mini-computer that allows projects to become smarter, more automatic, and capable of processing Artificial Intelligence (AI) data better and more accurately to implement AI machine learning and their respective innovation dashboards.
The Grand Finale was held over 3 days at KSL Hotel & Resort, Johor Bahru. During Phase 3, each team had to integrate their TinkerKit-based innovation with the Raspberry Pi 5 kit. They underwent a 2-day workshop, where they received further guidance from expert personnel from UTM, consisting of lecturers and assistant engineers from the FKE, and UTM undergraduates and postgraduates students.
Participants had to improve their prototypes to be capable of making automatic decisions, identifying surrounding conditions, or providing smart warning responses—depending on their respective projects. Throughout this process, participants also attended advanced workshops, mentoring sessions, and preparation for the final project presentation.
The climax of the program was the Grand Finale, where all 40 teams showcased their project outcomes at the AIoT Carnival on the third day of the program. Judges evaluated creativity, functionality, impact on the community, and the use of AI & IoT technology.
The Top 10 teams with the highest scores took home a total of RM4,800 in cash prizes, Raspberry Pi 5 sets, and other prizes. A special guest, Prof. Dr. Mohd Saberi Mohamad from the Institute for Data Innovation and Artificial Intelligence (IDEA-AI) in Australia, gave a sharing session for the participants titled “AI for Young Minds and Educators – Awareness, Opportunity and Readiness,” sponsored by TalentCorp through the MyHeart for Malaysians Abroad program.
The closing ceremony and prize-giving were excitedly carried out with welcoming and closing speeches from Prof. Johari Surif, Director of UTM Centre For Community & Industry Network (CCIN); and Nazrul Aziz, Group Chief Strategy Officer of Talentcorp.
The prizes were presented by Nazrul Aziz, accompanied by Prof. Johari and Ir. Ts. Dr. Fauzan Khairi Che Harun.
The Top 10 Grand Finale schools comprise three primary schools – Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Selangor from Selangor, SK Seri Puteri from Johor, and SK Sebatu from Melaka – along with four secondary schools: Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Kota Masai, SMK Kangkar Pulai, SMK Taman Rinting 2, and SMK Tun Habab, all from Johor. The list is completed by three special and vocational institutions, namely Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) Muar in Johor, Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi (SBPI) Batu Rakit in Terengganu, and Kolej Vokasional (KV) Balik Pulau in Penang.
