Quest International University (QIU) has a proud track record of encouraging agricultural innovation in our students and academics through technological solutions that promise a better future for all humankind.
Continuing our tradition of excellence, representatives from QIU’s Faculty of Computing and Engineering scaled new heights of accomplishment by winning their category in the recently concluded AgriNXT 2023 competition organised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in association with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Bioeconomy Corporation.
Held at the MCMC Centre of Excellence in Cyberjaya, this prestigious tech event – with the theme ‘Digitalising Agriculture Towards Food Sustainability’ – brought together students, SMEs, and technopreneurs from across Malaysia.
To reach the top, our team had to contend with an impressive field of higher-educational institutions, including University Malaya, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Multimedia University, and the International Islamic University Malaysia, among others.
The faculty’s senior lecturer, Ms Leong Ying Mei, and Bachelor of Computer Science (Hons) students, Timothy Martin Fredric Martin and Kong Teng Sum, joined forces to win the AGRI-3 Problem Statement challenge (academic track).
According to the brief, this challenge concerned the application of technology to remedy the “lack of real-time information on pest outbreaks and the ability to respond effectively”.
Our team elegantly rose to the task with their solution entitled ‘Eco-Sonic Guardians Shielding Palm Oil from the Beetle Onslaught’ – an innovative pest repellant that will emit ultrasonic frequencies to ward off harmful insects preying on commercial crops.
Global efforts towards promoting sustainable agriculture have ramped up in recent years as we come to grips with the devastating potential of climate change to compromise our food security. A key component in ensuring the viability and durability of our food sources is robust pest control.
In their congratulatory remarks, the organisers praised the solution for its “creativity, effectiveness, feasibility, and potential impact,” and shared their excitement about how it could “help digitalise a critical aspect of the local agriculture industry.”
They also invited our team to showcase their solution at the Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture, and Agro-Tourism (MAHA) 2024 exhibition – the country’s premier agro-industry fair.
Many congratulations to Ms Leong Ying Mei, Timothy Martin Fredric Martin, and Kong Teng Sum for achieving this remarkable feat! Your hard work, dedication, and exceptional talents have truly distinguished you from the competition and are a great credit to the university and faculty.
