(From left) Dr Tan, Nicholas Lee, Wyne Jiet, Dr Chin at the tournament in Nanning, China.
In a powerful display of technical skill and mental fortitude, students from TAR UMT proved that Malaysian engineering talent belongs on the global stage. Representing the University, Nicholas Lee Herng-Yu and Teoh Wyne Jiet travelled to Nanning, China, to compete in the 2025 AI-Enabled Advanced Manufacturing International Skills Invitational Tournament. Their hard work and resilience culminated in a prestigious Second Prize win, marking another milestone in the University’s track record of international success.
The competition, held from 1 to 2 November 2025, was far from a simple academic exercise. It was a high-stakes gathering of ‘young craftsmen’ from six nations: China, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Comoros, and Malaysia. Organised by the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the Mechanical Industry Education Development Centre, the tournament challenged participants in the cutting-edge fields of AI-driven industrial automation, industrial robot vision, and intelligent manufacturing.
At the heart of this challenge was a rigorous test of precision: teams were required to programme a robotic system to identify, measure, and sort objects using advanced 2D and 3D vision with maximum accuracy.
For Wyne Jiet, a Diploma of Electronic Engineering student, the tournament was an opportunity to apply his knowledge in machine vision—a field he is well-acquainted with, as image processing is the focus of his final year project. “The task required us to ensure the system could accurately recognise nine different shapes. I utilised the skills and techniques I have mastered to define the unique characteristics of each shape, enabling the system to identify them more efficiently,” he explained.
Nicholas (Left) and Wyne Jiet (Right) assessing the precise sorting and measurement sequences during the competition.
Meanwhile, his teammate Nicholas Lee focused on programming the robotic hand. Recalling the experience during the competition, Wyne Jiet said, “The technical challenges were immense. I remember a specific hurdle involving a buggy programme that caused the 3D image augmentation data to disappear repeatedly. We had to save the file after every single step to prevent the augmentation from disappearing. Despite the time lost to this workaround, we remained calm and applied our skills to compete proficiently."
Wyne Jiet attributed his composure to the rigorous lab environment at TAR UMT. " Those hands-on sessions taught me that real-world hardware doesn't always function as expected. Our lecturers encouraged us to embrace these challenges, which gave me the patience to troubleshoot our system methodically when it mattered most."
The experience also broadened Wyne Jiet’s perspective on the role of AI in the future. Witnessing the accuracy and consistency with which machines measured and differentiated objects using image data convinced him that AI is a necessity for modern quality inspection.
The team’s triumph was orchestrated under the dedicated guidance of Associate Professor Dr Chin Kar Mun and team leader Associate Professor Ir Ts Dr Tan Xiao Jian from the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FOET). Dr Chin’s strategy focused on building both technical competence and psychological readiness.
"The students were given only one day to familiarise themselves with and operate a complex machine they had never used before. Recognising the high-pressure environment of an international tournament, I encouraged the students to remain calm and not feel overwhelmed by the high technical demands. Then I guided them through a structured, step-by-step execution plan,” Dr Chin explained. This preparation allowed the students to progressively master control systems and coding, ensuring they could implement their skills systematically during the actual competition.
