Taylor S University Launches The First Robotic Design Development Degree Programme In Malaysia

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The degree combines multiple disciplines in engineering & computer science, producing in-
demand graduates for the fast-changing market. The university will be hosting its first nationwide Sumo Robot Open Competition open to all pre-U and university students

Subang Jaya, 4 February 2021 – With the nation’s first-of-its-kind bachelor’s degree in Robotic
Design & Development, Taylor’s University is at the forefront of robotics education and research.
Integrating knowledge and skills from different engineering disciplines, the programme is built to
give students a broad-based overview of multiple specialisations – making them highly adaptable to
today’s fast-paced employment market

Endorsed by industrial experts from the Malaysian Robotic and Automation Society (MyRAS), the 3-
year programme looks to expose students to a valuable 32-week working experience on real-world
challenges in their final year, placing them at some of the top industrial names: Western Digital,
FourFang, Robopreneur, Omron Electronics, and Me.Reka to name a few
The programme comes at a time when there is an increased demand for robotics engineers in itspush towards Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) in Malaysia. 1 Rise of technologies such as machinelearning and artificial intelligence during the era of Internet-of-Things are key factors that promptthe demand for robotics engineers. It is projected that the number of jobs in the field will grow9% between 2016 and 2026, leading to a shortage of qualified engineers. Speaking at the launch, Taylor’s University Deputy Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic OfficerProfessor Dr Pradeep Nair notes the significance of robotics talents in Malaysia’s national agenda:“IR4.0 technologies, such as robotics, have long proven the capabilities to entirely transform themanufacturing value chain. However, the pandemic has revealed how vulnerable global supplychains can be and has motivated manufacturers to further expand their digital capabilities to future-proof their business in the new normal. That said, the lack of robotics talent in the local market willhinder this recovery process – we cannot, and should not, have to rely on foreign talents alone to fillhigh-income jobs. That is the motivation behind the launch of Robotic Design & Developmentprogramme – to produce IR4.0 compliant graduates to drive the current market and spearhead therevolution internationally.”The virtual event was graced with the presence of Dr Ishkandar Baharin, President of MalaysiaRobotics & Automation Society (MyRAS). “The automation capabilities enabled by advanced robotics and AI/cognitive can lead to ample opportunities to innovate and bring the industry to the nextlevel. Currently, we are just at the start of this technology adoption – there are more work to bedone, especially in talent development. Because of this, we constantly work with partners acrossdifferent clusters including the government, industry, academic and public, to raise awareness onthe need for robotics and automation in Malaysia. Our vision is to be a professional platform where all engineers and technologies can meet and network to discuss about robotics and automationprogram in the country,” said Dr Ishkandar

The programme will be taught by 100% certified professionals with both academic and industrialbackgrounds, including Professional Engineers and Professional Technologists in leading companies
This means that there is a potential opportunity for the students to be absorbed as interns orpermanent staff in top-tier organisations before or upon graduation. With a flexible and innovativeteaching framework powered by TCF2.0, the School of Computer Science and Engineering at Taylor’sUniversity, aims to offer graduates a fast-tracked entrance to the industry. This keeps in line withTaylor’s top university in Malaysia for employer reputation in the QS World University Rankings 2020and QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020 results. Additionally, Taylor’s is also one of the partnering schools with Robopreneur Sdn. Bhd, a fast-growing service robotics company based in Malaysia with a strong focus on R&D in roboticstechnology and innovation. The collaborative efforts in research between two parties may also resultin ground-breaking frontiers for the industry

Dr. Hanafiah Yussof, the Founder, Board of Director and Group Chief Executive Officer ofRobopreneur Sdn Bhd, congratulates the school: “We believe that the partnership with Taylor’sUniversity will bring us closer to becoming the leader of service robotics in Malaysia, followed by inthe ASEAN region. The additional exposure provided to graduates of the Taylor’s programme willalso ensure that they have an edge against regular engineering grads, landing them high-incomeroles that are in-demand. I look forward to seeing young, budding talents taking a stab at real-worldissues throughout their learning journey and finding their passion in the robotic industry.”
First ever Taylor’s University Sumo Robot Open Competition In conjunction with the launch, Taylor’s has also announced their first nationwide Sumo Robot Open Competition open to all pre-U and university students, accompanied by series of preparation workshops leading up to the competition, set on August 2021. Sumo robot, or robot-sumo, is a sport in which two robots attempt to push each other out of a circle (in similar fashion to the sport of sumo-wrestling). The robots used in this competition are called Sumobots

There will be two open categories for the competition: 1) Pre-university level and 2) University level
To prepare students for the competition, robotic workshops led by academia and industryprofessionals will be held in weeks prior to the finale. Registration of the competition starts from 4February 2021 to 3 March 2021

There will also be different judging criteria for the sumobots in each category. For the pre-universitycategory (Bluetooth-Remote Controlled), the robot can be remotely controlled via Bluetoothconnection only. All remote controls must be digitally-mated pairs. Remote control robots must starton a signal from the tournament official as no augmented autonomous controls are allowed on therobot. All robot motion must be directly due to the teleoperation of the operator. Under the university category (Autonomous), robots must be autonomous. Any method of control may be used, if it is fully contained within the robot and receives no external signals or directions (human, machine, or otherwise). Autonomous robot operation must begin automatically no less than five seconds after being started by the user. Robots starting before the five second mark forfeit that Yuhkoh point. To learn more about the contest, kindly visit the https://universitytaylors.wixsite.com/sumo-comp

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