NIBONG TEBAL, Dec 6 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) achieved another milestone by securing its fifth consecutive championship at the NI Autonomous Robotics Competition (NI ARC) 2025, held on 6 December 2025 at Dewan Utama, USM Engineering Campus, Nibong Tebal, Penang. The competition has brought together top engineering and technology talents from several Malaysian universities, including Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Universiti Putra Malaysua (UPM) and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM).
This year’s theme, Robots in Agriculture – Urban Agro-Arena, challenged teams to design autonomous robots capable of supporting modern urban farming practices. Competitors were required to integrate precision agriculture techniques, vertical farming concepts and sustainable resource management into their designs. The theme highlighted the increasing importance of robotics in addressing food security, smart-city development and eco-friendly farming solutions, encouraging participants to apply knowledge from electrical engineering, electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science and software engineering.
UTM extended its winning legacy through the outstanding achievement of Team Airost 1, managed by Dr. Mohd Saiful Azimi Mahmud, which captured the Champion title and also won the NI Creativity and Innovation Award.
The team comprised Loh Jia Yao, whi is pursuing the Bachelor of Electronic Engineering (Mechatronic) with Honours; Yeoh Jett and Ivy Ling Hock Hong, both undertaking the Bachelor of Electronic Engineering with Honours; and Angela Ngu Xin Yi, who is enrolled in the Bachelor in Software Engineering with Honours, representing the Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FKE) and the Faculty of Computing.
Their robot stood out for its precision planting capabilities and automated farm navigation. Their strong interdisciplinary approach demonstrated the collaborative strength of UTM’s academic ecosystem.
Equally impressive was Team Airost 2, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eileen Su Le Ming, which secured the First Runner-Up position. Representing the Faculty of Computing, the FKE and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FKM), the team comprised Alfred Chin Zhan Hoong, a Bachelor in Software Engineering with Honours student; Tey Zhong Hern, pursuing the Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Mechatronic) with Honours; Kaylyn Ng Jin Qing, undertaking the Bachelor of Computer Science (Bioinformatics) with Honours; and Ng Yu Qin, a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Honours student.
UTM expressed sincere appreciation to the UTM Centre for Student Innovation & Technology Entrepreneurship (UTMXCITE) and the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIRO) for providing facilities that empowered students to explore creativity and innovation. Gratitude is also extended to the FKE for sponsoring transportation and accommodation, ensuring the teams could participate at their fullest capacity throughout the competition.
With this remarkable fifth consecutive victory, UTM continues to reinforce its standing as a national leader in robotics, engineering innovation and interdisciplinary research. The success of Airost 1 and Airost 2 reflects the university’s strong culture of academic excellence and its commitment to nurturing future-ready robotics engineers capable of contributing to Malaysia’s technological advancement.
