A CAMERA detects a driver’s eyes closing, a buzzer sounds and an alert gets sent – that is how DriveShield works, the road safety invention developed by three students in Sabah.
The innovation propelled the students to become champions of the Shell NXplorers Malaysia 2026 National Challenge, held at Plaza Shell in Kota Kinabalu on Oct 30.
Six schools, with two finalists each from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, participated in the national finals after emerging as state winners and runners-up at the state-level competitions.
The finalist schools were SMK Vivekananda, SMK Tengku Idris Shah, SMK Lutong, SMK Bandar Bintulu, SM Sung Siew and SM All Saints.
Team Triangle from SM Sung Siew, comprising Ivan Lam Jun Yin, Alan Romeo Roy Joseph Boguli and Izz Iqbal Rizqin Mohd Shamsul, emerged as national champions in an event graced by Sabah State Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Ewon Benedick.
As champions, the students will receive an all-expenses-paid learning trip to Seoul, South Korea.
Meanwhile, Team Theory from SMK Bandar Bintulu took first runner-up with their invention, ElderCare AI, a medication-sorting and health-monitoring companion.
A special prize was also awarded to Alvee Aylwin Tan from SM All Saints, who took home the Best Presenter award for his compelling delivery and clear, insightful explanation of his team’s innovation.
Stopping accidents
Team Triangle’s winning invention, DriveShield, is an affordable, solar-powered road safety system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect risky driving behaviours such as drowsiness, mobile phone use, smoking and alcohol consumption.
The idea began when the students came across news reports of road accidents caused by drivers who were drunk, asleep or multitasking while at the wheel.
“Our biggest motivation has always been the possibility of helping to prevent accidents and save lives.
“We believe our success comes from choosing a problem that affects real lives and working hard to turn our idea into something practical,” the team said.
Using NXthinking tools, the team transformed their idea into an accessible, affordable and scalable solution that could potentially support drivers across Malaysia.
DriveShield requires drivers to pass an alcohol test, while a compact Wi-Fi-enabled camera module uses face recognition to confirm they are the registered driver.
On the road, the camera and AI sensors keep watch for drowsiness, phone use and smoking.
If a danger is detected, a buzzer sounds and a Telegram alert is sent to the driver’s family or employer.
Incidents are also recorded to encourage safer driving habits.
Being powered by solar energy, the system costs only about RM125.
After winning the Sabah State Final, the students set out to make DriveShield more practical by improving the casing, testing different situations and interviewing school bus drivers to understand real driving conditions.
But building DriveShield was not always smooth sailing.
The first 3D-printed casing had incorrect dimensions, which affected how the components fit, and they also faced challenges in coding and integrating the different parts of the system.
“Instead of giving up, we worked together, conducted further research and made the necessary adjustments.
“We wanted to show not only what our prototype can do, but also what we have learned from testing it,” the team said, crediting their lead teacher, Chong Yiing Yiing, for encouraging them to seek advice from experts and explore different solutions.
Looking back on their experiences in the programme, the students said: “Winning the Shell NXplorers Malaysia finals is a proud moment for us, but seeing our idea become a solution that can make a difference makes it even more meaningful.
“Shell NXplorers challenged us to look at problems from different perspectives, think beyond the obvious and turn our ideas into action.
“This experience has built our confidence and inspired us to create solutions that can make a difference in our communities.”
Alan said the experience taught him an important lesson about teamwork.
“Not every decision worked the first time, but when we listened to one another and kept improving, we moved forward. A good team does not avoid mistakes; it learns from them.”
Ivan said building the prototype showed him how much precision matters in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
“Even small details, such as the dimensions of a casing or the position of a camera, can affect how well a system works.”
Izz Iqbal, meanwhile, said what he values most is what the team gained from the journey.
“Winning is exciting, but what I value most is how much we learned, the people we met and the confidence we gained.”
Looking ahead, the team hopes DriveShield can be developed for use in vehicles, with more controlled testing, improved detection reliability, night-time monitoring and advice from road safety experts such as the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros).
“We want to understand what would be needed to make the system safe, dependable and useful in real driving conditions.
“Winning the competition is an important milestone, but we see it as the beginning rather than the end,” they said.
Shell NXplorers Malaysia 2026
Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd and Shell Timur Sdn Bhd managing director Shairan Huzani Husain said the programme thrives on a continuous effort to nurture innovative curiosity.
“Every breakthrough begins with the courage to ask: ‘What if we did things differently?’. That spirit is at the heart of Shell NXplorers.
“Seeing students transform complex challenges into creative and practical solutions shows us the remarkable potential of young people when curiosity is matched with the right skills and opportunities.
“Shell NXplorers is about nurturing that potential and empowering students to become confident problem-solvers who can help shape a better future,” said Shairan Huzani.
The judges for the national finals featured SMJ Energy Sdn Bhd chief operating officer and executive vice-president Datuk Albert Lo, Sabah State Education Department learning sector senior principal assistant director Mohd Ridhuan Yusof and Sabah Shell Petroleum Company Limited general manager Alexon Jong.
Also present was Shell Malaysia corporate relations general manager Cindy Lopez.
Through Shell NXplorers, secondary school students are challenged to think differently about complex issues across food, water and energy.
Incorporating STEM principles, the programme seeks to build the capacity of next-generation thinkers, leaders and innovators, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to address growing energy demand challenges and help shape future solutions.
By exposing students to structured toolkits, such as the Perspective Circle, Connecting Circle and Feasibility Funnel, the curriculum helps students navigate interconnected social issues, evaluate real-world constraints and design scalable, human-centred technologies.
Supported by the Education Ministry, Shell NXplorers Malaysia has reached more than 1,000 students across 29 secondary schools nationwide, equipping youth with the technology, creativity and collaboration skills to turn ideas into action.
For more information, visit https://www.shell.com.my/about-us/sustainability/communities/shell-stem-programme.html.
