 | IFSA went to the 2016 KL Engineering Science Fair to find out how far the engineering sciences had reached into the Malaysian society, industry and schools. |
Over the weekend IFSA was invited to survey the 2016 KL Engineering Science Fair. This would only be its third reappearance, though is the largest with the participation of dozens of schools from all around the nation as well as Southeast Asia.
The Fair also includes corporate pavilions such as those from Intel, Rolls Royce, and Bayer as part of a showcase of their products and innovation. While as expected from the presence of secondary schools, certain tertiary institutions had also made appearances, from MMU to Nottingham, to UTAR and UPSI.
The atmosphere was jovial, and festive; very much like a buzzing bazaar - but with chemicals, and mechanical gadgets instead. We couldn't do justice with words on the stimulating experience, but here are some photos that might translate a small portion of it.
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9:00 AM. The crowds are starting to pour in, what initially began as a trickle slowly began to grow. Considering that the first KLESF attracted around 50,000 visitors, we're not surprised.
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It's not surprising that one of the first stop visitors made a beeline for is the lavishly constructed Bayer Pavilion. Bayer, being a pharmaceutical firm, naturally devotes its exhibition on the life sciences, with practical activities and demonstrations of biochemical principles.
Those balloons, on the other hand, are courtesy of Leeden, a manufacturer and distributor of industrial gasses. Other than generating an endless supply of the blue and green floaters, they also make nitrogen ice creams. You can't miss it, just follow the sound of high-pitched, helium giggles...
Those balloons, on the other hand, are courtesy of Leeden, a manufacturer and distributor of industrial gasses. Other than generating an endless supply of the blue and green floaters, they also make nitrogen ice creams. You can't miss it, just follow the sound of high-pitched, helium giggles...
Being a UTAR organised event, it's expected that they have the most extensive presence at the fair. The UTAR team concentrates mainly on fun things such as tensile geometric bubbles, non-Newtonian fluids, math puzzles (the definition of "fun" might be relative for some), mechanical and chemical demonstrations. It was undeniably the event's main collective crowd pleaser.
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However much the rest tried, the main attraction is still the school exhibitions. Coming from every corner of the nation, the exhibitions are divided into those from primary and secondary schools. As per the Fair's theme, much of these are devoted to the engineering sciences, may they be mechanical, chemical, or biological.
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In the cases above, the team on the left from SJKT Pasir Gudang was given a silver medal for their naturally air-conditioned, multipurpose table. WHile on the right, the team from Horizon International School from Myanmar promotes their research on the anti-malarial properties of a local herb, Coptis teeta, locally known as goldthread.
We did mention there are exhibitors from the rest of the region didn't we? Others include teams from the Philippines, Cambodia, and Thailand.
We did mention there are exhibitors from the rest of the region didn't we? Others include teams from the Philippines, Cambodia, and Thailand.
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After much scouring, we find that most of the projects seem to be two common denominators: the environment, and the use of artificial intelligence. The former most often involve the handling of waste, in terms of reducing the cost of disposal as well as making labour-intensive tasks (such as sorting recyclable waste) easier. The latter involves the integration of robotics and simple programming in our day-to-day tasks.
One of the more interesting projects involve the use of a sensor unit to keep track of wandering tourists during an adventurous expedition in the wild. The team from SMK Agama Yan had developed the tracking unit using a Raspberry Pi board and a RFID tag to prevent or at least reduce the cases of missing tourists in the jungles of Kedah.
One of the more interesting projects involve the use of a sensor unit to keep track of wandering tourists during an adventurous expedition in the wild. The team from SMK Agama Yan had developed the tracking unit using a Raspberry Pi board and a RFID tag to prevent or at least reduce the cases of missing tourists in the jungles of Kedah.
As much as KLESF is about science, there is space for some art. We chanced upon a post-modernist display of a plastic trashcan, and are bemused that it lacked the mechanics and blinkering lights of the other exhibitions.
Apparently it was the work of one Lavinia Elysia, an interior designer and environmental activist from Indonesia. The piece is supposed to start a conversation on the methods and approach of making urban waste history, literally, to the point that trashcans may one day be museum pieces.
Food for thought.
Apparently it was the work of one Lavinia Elysia, an interior designer and environmental activist from Indonesia. The piece is supposed to start a conversation on the methods and approach of making urban waste history, literally, to the point that trashcans may one day be museum pieces.
Food for thought.
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An unexpected presence would be from the Malaysian Nuclear Power Corporation, an exploratory outfit looking into the perception and feedback from the Malaysian public on the possible establishment of nuclear power in the country.
Staffed by a surprisingly knowledgeable staff, MNPC have the answers to any questions that you may have on nuclear power, from the environmental impact and waste processing, to technology and costs.
Staffed by a surprisingly knowledgeable staff, MNPC have the answers to any questions that you may have on nuclear power, from the environmental impact and waste processing, to technology and costs.
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Emerging technologies, however, is expected.
At the MCMC pavilion many of the displays and workshops involve the use of what's called "the internet of things" or TIOT. This involves the extensive use of single-board computers such as Raspberry Pi or Intel's Galileo, to integrate multiple components (such as home appliances, electrical fixtures, computers, phones, GPS navigators) into a single cohesive network, that can be accessed and controlled from anywhere at any time. Much of these are home-brewed (made by enthusiasts), and if you have the time and a little money, you too can have a your own personal JARVIS.
Another interesting emerging tech displayed is 3D printing. Although not new, we are surprised that these machines are getting cheaper by the day - for the cost of an entry-level PC, you can start churning out plastic models at home yourself.
At the MCMC pavilion many of the displays and workshops involve the use of what's called "the internet of things" or TIOT. This involves the extensive use of single-board computers such as Raspberry Pi or Intel's Galileo, to integrate multiple components (such as home appliances, electrical fixtures, computers, phones, GPS navigators) into a single cohesive network, that can be accessed and controlled from anywhere at any time. Much of these are home-brewed (made by enthusiasts), and if you have the time and a little money, you too can have a your own personal JARVIS.
Another interesting emerging tech displayed is 3D printing. Although not new, we are surprised that these machines are getting cheaper by the day - for the cost of an entry-level PC, you can start churning out plastic models at home yourself.
