CJMY
Seven young inventors from Johor won a gold medal for their invention, the Soil Texture Analyzer, at the recently concluded IPITEX 2023 in Bangkok.
The team, consisting of Chan Jing Hui (16), Dharmini Vijaya Kumar (13), Hayriesh Mogunthan (13), Chew Yi Xiang (16), Muhammad Ikwanisam bin Norhasmie (16) are students from SMK Ulu Tiram.
Soorya Thanabalan (11) and Denish Vijaya Kumar (11) from SJKT(L) Mount Austin are also part of the team.
“We are honoured and thrilled to have received recognition for our inventions at IPITEX 2023,” said Chan Jing Hui, an award-winning team member.
Teacher Vijaya Kumar Rahman mentored them, and Universiti Malaysia Sabah lecturer Associate Professor Dr Homathevi Rahman acted as the advisor.
“I feel proud of my students as they spend much time researching and working on innovations. They spent many sleepless nights and money on these innovations,” said Vijaya Kumar.
Apart from the gold medal, they also received International I-New Gen Award and Special Awards from the Japan Intellectual Property Association and World Women Inventors and Entrepreneurs Association.
“Our portable soil analyser is not just a tool to determine the soil type and pH. It can be employed in various fields, increasing the knowledge and understanding of soil to a wider audience,” added Chan.
The Soil Texture Analyzer is a portable instrument and accompanying app that allows farmers and gardeners to quickly determine the best crops to plant based on soil texture and pH value.
The tool utilises a simple testing method and can be used with a smartphone, saving time and simplifying the soil analysis process.
In addition to the Soil Texture Analyzer, the team also won a silver medal for CV-SIGMA (Herb-based Larvicide), which utilises locally sourced herbs to control the growth and emergence of adult mosquitoes, and a bronze medal for Brain Power Cookies, a nutraceutical confectionery product designed to enhance cognitive function. They also won a bronze medal and a special award for their invention Cikgu Bot, a chatbot that facilitates communication between students and teachers on various subjects.
According to Vijaya Kumar, before this competition, they had participated in many innovation competitions. Among the major competition is SIRIM Invention, Innovation & Technology Expo (SI2TE). They also took part in IPITEX 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2023 is the fourth time we took part in.
The team expressed their gratitude to their schools, parents, and advisors for their support and financial assistance, which made their participation in IPITEX 2023 possible.
Twenty-nine organisations from 24 countries participated in the competition, with 140 inventions from Malaysia.
IPITEX, which takes place annually from February 2nd to 6th as part of Thailand Inventors’ Day, showcases the potential and exciting inventions and innovations of international inventors and innovators.
IPITEX aims to foster collaboration and exchange of ideas between inventors and innovators from around the world.
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