KUCHING – Swinburne won big at the recent Innovate Sarawak Design Challenge 2020, claiming not only the overall champion title but also five prizes in other categories.
Team MY310 which consist of electrical and electronic engineering students Peter Ling Ting Rang, Tsen Xin Hui and Sarah Jane Kho was announced as the overall champion. The team is supervised by Swinburne’s Deputy Head of School of Engineering Dr Chua Hong Siang and specialist doctor from Sarawak General Hospital Dr Ooi Mong How.
Their project entitled ‘Instant Detection and Identification of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis’ also won the first prize under the AI & Data Analytics category. Swinburne performed well in the same category, grabbing the second and third places for projects entitled ‘Ensemble Model for Power Outage Prediction’ by Atiqul Islam and ‘DHL Express Design Challenge: Enhanced Customer Experience and Improving Operation Efficiency’ by Sung Yun Ping and Albe Chai Bing Zhe respectively.
Meanwhile, in the IoT category, Swinburne team comprising Lee Zhe Wei and Chua Wei Long won the second prize for their ‘Bottle Elimination System and Technology’ project, and third prize in the Mobile, Web & Others category for the ‘Optoelectronic Biofilm Sensor’ project by Darren Teo Ming Hui.
The ‘Instant Detection and Identification of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis’ project features a mobile application approach to effectively and efficiently detect the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB) disease. The bacteria usually attack the lungs and can also damage other parts of the body. TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes or talks.
The system created by the team significantly complements the traditional diagnosis method which is the sputum smear microscopy. Conventionally, the diagnosis of TB requires lab technicians to manually count the number of bacteria under a fluorescence microscope. The process is not only time consuming and physically demanding but also must be carried out by trained technicians who predominantly only work in major laboratories.
As a result, samples taken in smaller clinics need to be transported where this can cause delay. Time delay in diagnosis is particularly evident for patients living in rural areas located far from the laboratories.
The mobile application created by the team features an automated and accurate counting of bacteria utilising image processing techniques. Thus, the severity of the disease can be determined within seconds. In addition, the mobile application also includes user login and verification, ensuring sufficient data protection and privacy. Patient data is recorded in a secure database, enabling future retrieval whenever necessary.
The diagnosis results are analysed anonymously to yield meaningful insights such as the distribution of TB in a particular location based on demographic factors. As the system is connected to the internet, documentation works can be done with ease by medical professionals.
The Innovate Sarawak Design Challenge 2020 was organised by DreamCatcher and supported by Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research Sarawak, and Sarawak Multimedia Authority. LONGi, SAINS and Sarawak Energy were the participating industries.
The event also covered a panel discussion on the topic ‘Challenges faced by the industry and new skillsets required for fresh graduates in post-pandemic economy’. Led by moderator Haslina Abdul Malek, co-founder of All Aboard Young Leaders Centre, the panellists consist of Professor John Wilson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of Swinburne Sarawak; Dr Hor Poh Jin, Chief Executive Officer of DreamCatcher; and Dr Nor Azmi Alias, Senior Vice President Research of CREST.
Swinburne Sarawak is currently offering the Start With Zero Fees Programme to new commencing students. The exclusive programme is applicable for October 2020 intake only and entitles students to a two-week free trial classes at Swinburne’s Sarawak campus where students have the opportunity to adapt and experience the university’s teaching and learning style. Classes for Foundation and Degree programmes commence on 5 October and 12 October respectively.
For more information about Swinburne, visit www.swinburne.edu.my or its Facebook page (@swinburnesarawak), Instagram (@swinburnesarawak), Twitter (@Swinburne_Swk) or YouTube channel (Swinburne Sarawak).