Pagoh, 23 February 2010 – Tan Sri Dato’ Muhyiddin bin Yassin today graced the final day of two-day Robotics Workshop organised jointly by Robotics Learning (M) Sdn. Bhd. and Sekreteriat Pendidikan Parlimen Pagoh.

The Robotics Workshop provides secondary school students from the age of 14 to 16 years in the Parliament of Pagoh an exposure to the world of robotics. The two-day workshop gave the students the opportunity of experiencing hands-on project on building, testing and competing with their own robots based on the VeX Training Kit. The workshop also helped the students to cultivate their soft skills in terms of teamwork, creative thinking, systematic planning, time management, and enhancing problem solving skills.

Realising the timely need of catching up with the Developed World and the increasing importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and ICT (Information and Communication Technologies), Educational Robotics classroom-based training and curriculum provides an opportunity of incorporating enjoyment in learning of STEM subjects and the Arts.

Robotics Learning works with the world famous VEX educational robotics kits from Innovation First Inc. in the USA. Used by secondary schools throughout the world, the vex educational robotics are used by all ages from about 10 years and above and truly help student master a whole of skills including both STEM as well as a range of soft skills such as creative and innovative thinking, team work, systematic planning and communications skills. VEX organises robotics competitions throughout the world.

The two-day workshop takes place on 22nd February 2010 from 8:00am to 10:00pm and 23rd February 2010 from 8:30am to 4:00pm. The workshop is located at the Wisma Pekembar, Pagoh, Johor Darul Takzim.

Secondary schools involved in the Robotics Workshop are as follows:

1. SMK Tun Sri Lanang
2. SMK Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah I
3. SMK Felcra Bukit Kepong
4. SMK Moakil
5. SMK Bukit Pasir
6. SMK Tengku Temenggong Ahmad
7. SMK Lenga

Robotics Learning strongly support and encourage Malaysian school children from all parts of Malaysia to be able to have equal access to an education where teachers are comfortable providing their students with creative and innovative learning opportunities.

On the 25th of May 2010, Robotics Learning participated in the Juara Rakyat at Padang Awam Bukit Kepong in Johor. The objective of the participation was to expose educational robotics and technology based education to a range of students from the surrounding area of Bukit Kepong. Robotics Learning organized drawing competitions and quizzes related to robotics and the winners each won a HEXBUG. The children of Bukit Kepong touched our heart because they showed to us their incredible enthusiasm throughout the day. Some of the students even stayed all day in our booth just because they got carried away with our robots and the whole learning experience that our robots offered.

Robotics Learning (M) Sdn. Bhd. and Innovation First Inc. sponsored 4 students and one teacher from SMK Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur to compete in the VEX Robotics Competition World Championship 2010 which took place at the Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, USA from April 22-24, 2010. The students had spent 8 months learning how to build and to design robots using the VEX Robotics Design System.

These students were the first ever Malaysians to represented Malaysia for the first time at the World Championships. They named their team, Team One Malaysia (Team 2468). The four students were;

1. Abdul Hakim Bin Mazeli, (16 years old)
2. Cheong Jian Foong, (14 years old)
3. Ali Imran Bin Mohd Salleh (15 years old)
4. Ram A/L T. Manikavaasagan (16 years old)

The VEX robots were engineered, by the students, in line with the 2010 game challenge called ‘Clean Sweep’ which involved students applying their programming skills and strategic thinking to defeat their opponents. This event included qualifying teams from over 14 countries including Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In total over 392 teams were divided into four divisions which were named Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Each division had 98 teams. Team One Malaysia was placed in the Mathematics Division. Although it was the first time participation for a team from Malaysia, Team One Malaysia managed to beat half of the other teams in their division. The final result, Team One Malaysia ranked 42 in their division.

Congratulations TEAM 1MALAYSIA! You did GREAT!

What made this competition an even a memorable event was that Team One Malaysia got the chance to meet and greet with the robotics genius, Grant Imahara, host of the Discovery Channel’s hit show “Mythbusters”. He was the Master of Ceremony for this World Championships.

Robotics Learning hopes to send more teams from Malaysia to the VEX Robotics Competition World Championship 2011. If you want to be a part of this great event, then do not hesitate to contact team Robotics Learning.

This event was a follow-up activity from the successful Robotics Workshop conducted on 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 in Wisma Sri Pekembar, Pagoh.

It was held on 29 March 2010, at SMK Alaudin Riayat Shah 1. The purpose of this event was to encourage students to be more creative and innovative by undergoing several robotics competitions such as “Swept Away”, “RoboSoccer” and “Grasp and Deliver”. All of these games had been designed by our expert from Robotics Learning based on the international Vex Robotics Competitions held in the USA.

In addition, this follow-up event was an ideal opportunity for the students to further enhance their skills by having to create robots for this competition day. In addition, the competition helped the students to develop their soft skills such as teamwork, creative thinking, systemic planning, time management and solving problem skills.

On the 6th of February 2010, Robotics Learning (M) Sdn. Bhd. made its first on air appearance in RTM 1, “Hujung Minggu Malaysia” covering the topic, “Robotik Pembuka Minda”. The questions covered in this show included how important is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) Education in educating and preparing students for the latest technology advancements and what is VEX Educational Robotics and what are its benefits to students’ learning. Two lucky callers won HEXBUGS Micro Robotic Creatures by giving the right answers to the questions provided to the home viewers.