YOGYAKARTA, Sept 13 – The Tekno-Elektro Intellectual Exchange Trip 2024, held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia from September 9-13, aimed to foster knowledge sharing and raise awareness in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, with a focus on technology and engineering. The program featured the use of the TinkerKit, a custom-designed educational kit, including a mobile robot equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) control, to teach students hands-on robotics and AI skills.

Delegates from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) played a key role in guiding high school and university students in robotics and AI through interactive sessions. The TinkerKit, programmable with the Arduino IDE or block-based Tinkercode, provided an engaging platform for students to learn. Participants developed mobile apps, programmed robots for tasks like pickup and delivery, and explored machine learning to enhance AI capabilities for specific tasks.

The UTM team, led by lecturers from the STEM-Technology and Engineering Design (RBTK) group at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FKE), Biomedical Instrumentation and Electronics Research Group (BMIE RG), and the Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying (FABU), received support from assistant engineers from FKE and the Wireless Communication Centre (WCC). Selected students from FKE, FABU, and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FKM) underwent rigorous training in robotics and troubleshooting to prepare for the program. Their dedication and teamwork set the foundation for the program’s success.

Participants included students from SMA IT Abu Bakar, Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII), Universitas Ahmad Dahlan (UAD), Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), and Politeknik Negeri Ujung Pandang (PNUP).

The trip also allowed UTM delegates to explore cultural landmarks such as Mount Merapi, a site rich in cosmological significance, and the Ijo Temple, Yogyakarta’s highest temple, dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries during the Mataram Kingdom period.

The program was made possible with financial support from UTM’s International Special Academic Program, UTM Alumni, FKE, Yayasan Raja Zarith Sofiah Negeri Johor (YRZSNJ), Uwave Sdn. Bhd., IEEE Electron Devices Society, and UTM Endowment, which contributed significantly to the program’s success and impact.

This article was written by: Nurul Ashikin Abdul Kadir and Nor Aini Zakaria