Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Marine Engineering Technology (UniKL MIMET) strengthened its research and innovation credentials after securing one Gold and two Bronze medals at the SIRIM Invention, Innovation and Technology Expo (Si2TE) 2026.
Held from 22 to 24 September 2026 at AMREC SIRIM in Kulim, Kedah, the expo provided a platform for researchers and innovators to showcase technology-driven solutions with potential applications across industry and society.
Leading UniKL MIMET’s success was Team V011, which won the Gold Medal for Aqua Nova Ocean Sentinel: An Intelligent Unmanned Surface Vehicle for Smart Water Monitoring, Environmental Surveillance and Rapid Disaster Response.
Led by Dr. Ahmad Makarimi Abdullah, the team also comprised Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Wardiah Mohd Dahalan, Ts. Noorazlina Mohamid Salih, Ts. Atzroulnizam Abu, Muhammad Aiman Hakim Madzir, Wan Amir Ibrahim Wan Mohd Nizam and Dr. Ahmad Zawawi Jamaluddin.
Aqua Nova Ocean Sentinel is a compact unmanned surface vehicle designed to provide real-time water intelligence, environmental surveillance and rapid disaster-response capabilities.
Developed for use in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and coastal waters, the technology has potential applications for environmental agencies, researchers, emergency responders and the aquaculture sector.
UniKL MIMET added another medal through Team J028, which received Bronze for its Resonance-Tuned Backward-Bent Duct Buoy Wave Energy Converter for Improved Primary Conversion Efficiency under Malaysian Low-Energy Wave Conditions.
Led by Muhammad Nasuha Mansor, the project tackles one of the challenges facing renewable ocean energy in Malaysia: extracting useful energy from relatively low-energy waves.
The system is designed to tune the device’s natural response to dominant wave frequencies, improving water-column oscillation, airflow and pneumatic power generation.
Physical testing using a wave tank demonstrated its potential as a scalable renewable-energy solution for locations with similar wave environments.
Completing the medal haul was Team V008, which earned Bronze for BILGEGUARD: Autonomous Flood Detection and Emergency Pump Control for Safer Vessels.
Led by Ts. Mohd Shukri Mohd Yusoff, alongside Ts. Dr. Asmawi Abdul Malik, Iyad Dani Abdul Razak, Afiq Amirul Hatim Abdul Hadi and Muhammad Nazaruddin, the project focuses on enhancing safety within vessel bilge compartments.
BILGEGUARD combines non-contact ultrasonic sensing, an Arduino-based controller, real-time monitoring, three-stage risk classification, visual and audible alarms, and automatic pump activation to provide an autonomous response to potential flooding.
The achievements support several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 13: Climate Action, SDG 14: Life Below Water and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
