In the ever-challenging world of engineering, a vibrant team known by the code M2G13 emerged from the 4th Year Capstone Project Course at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FKE), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). From the moment this group was formed, they were destined to experience the highs and lows of a transformative journey.
Under the expert guidance of Dr. Lim Cheng Siong, the team—led by the dynamic Hoh Chew Wen and supported by her remarkable teammates Ting Shi Yi, Abdullah Mashehor, and Faris Mohamed—transitioned from being randomly assigned strangers to becoming a cohesive unit recognized as the best team in their cohort. Their journey was marked by relentless determination, from the early stages of problem identification and ideation to the final triumphs in prototyping.
Their mission? To revolutionize the field of Smart Agriculture. They identified a critical issue in the hydroponics farming industry: the manual seed insertion process, which was both time-consuming and labor-intensive, significantly hindering productivity. In response, they engineered a groundbreaking solution—the Fully Automatic Seed Insertion Machine, aptly named “ExSeed,” signaling an innovation that surpasses expectations. This ingenious creation earned the M2G13 team the prestigious Control and Mechatronics Engineering Theme Award at the Electrical Engineering Capstone Showcase (EECS 2023).
But their journey didn’t stop there. To further validate and refine their prototype, the team entered the International Development, Research & Innovation Virtual Exhibition (iDRIVE) 2024, organized by Universiti Tun Hussein Onn (UTHM). Here, they enhanced ExSeed with an AI-Powered Seed Detection System, ensuring flawless accuracy by detecting any missing seeds. Competing against over 400 global submissions, ExSeed claimed the Gold Award, solidifying its position as a leading innovation on the international stage.
Recognizing the commercial potential of their invention, the M2G13 team entered Entrecamp Malaysia, an entrepreneurship competition organized by Reactor School in collaboration with Singapore Global Network. At the Johor state level, they refined their business model and impressed judges with live demonstrations and pitches. Their hard work paid off as they won the Johor round, earning a place in the national finals in Kuala Lumpur as both Johor and UTM FKE representatives. After two months of intensive preparation, the Grand Demo Day on July 23, 2024, at Asia Pacific University (APU) in Kuala Lumpur saw the team shine once more. Their outstanding performance secured them the title of 1st Runner-Up in this prestigious national competition.
The journey of the M2G13 team is a testament to the incredible potential of UTM FKE students in transforming academic projects into market-ready products, earning accolades in both engineering and business arenas. With their diverse backgrounds and shared passion for engineering, this team exemplifies how innovation, teamwork, and perseverance can lead to solutions that address real-world challenges.
