Form 2 students, teacher win Sabah invention competition with flood warning system

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s regular floods prompted a group of SMK Pekan Telipok students to come up with a device to quickly alert villagers of rising water levels, making them the state champion for an invention competition organised by Shell, recently.

The innovation, called "The Alluvione", was designed by three Form Two girls and their teachers, and stands as a pivotal flood alert system designed to inform communities residing in flood-prone regions about rising water levels in nearby rivers.

Aimi Farisha Roslin, Siti Nureen Naziha Ismail, and Iman Batrisyia Syarimin shared how the problem of floods in their backyards inspired them to take past flood alarm inventions as a guide to come up with an upgraded version of this project.

“My village is in Kota Belud and here, floods always happen. The areas near our school and roads leading to villages nearby are also often hit by flash floods,” said Siti.

“That is why we felt that a proper alert system can benefit the whole community and give an impactful result,” said Aimi.

This advanced sensor unit comprises several essential components, including an ultrasonic sensor, LED light, a siren speaker, and a dedicated mobile application, she said.

She said its functionality is driven by an intelligent mechanism that ensures real-time monitoring of water levels in the river. This data is effortlessly accessible through the accompanying mobile app, facilitated by a robust WiFi network.

According to their teacher Sylvester Liaw, the sensor operates seamlessly, automatically gauging the water levels in the river and relaying this crucial information to the connected mobile applications.

Through this innovative setup, communities can stay informed about the evolving river conditions, empowering them to take timely and appropriate actions in response to the changing water levels, he said.

By using state-of-the-art technology, the Alluvione not only enhances public safety but also exemplifies the potential of smart solutions in addressing natural disasters and safeguarding vulnerable regions from the impacts of flooding.

“We are ecstatic to be awarded state champions and would like to extend our appreciation to Shell for providing us this amazing avenue to learn on the integration of thinking, problem solving, planning and most importantly, coming together as a team and thinking out-of-the box to help address sustainability related issues that the world is facing today,” said Liaw.

“We are eager to be a part of the national challenge and hope to make our state proud,” he said.

First runner-up for the competition was The EcoSwitch prototype created by students of SM All Saints, Kota Kinabalu, who call themselves Team XO_Leiune.

The 12 and 13-year-old members are Nathylee Faye Jaikol Udar, Addent Aylwin Tan and Nichelle Essabelle James.

They say the constant nagging from their parents whenever they forgot to switch off their lights or fans at home somewhat contributed to this invention.

The EcoSwitch is an innovative light management system, specifically engineered to address electricity wastage in real-time, said their teacher Disimon Edmund Gansoi.

“It operates by detecting human presence, ensuring that lights are only active when necessary. This smart mechanism utilises cutting-edge technology to sense human occupancy within a room, thereby minimising unnecessary electricity consumption,” he said.

By seamlessly integrating this real-time presence detection feature, the EcoSwitch contributes significantly to energy conservation efforts, promoting a more sustainable approach to lighting usage.

These two teams will be representing Sabah in the Shell NXplorers Malaysia challenge, which will take place in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 8.

They are among 81 teams from nine schools statewide including SMK Badin, SMK St Joseph, SM St Michael, SM La Salle, SM Sung Siew Sandakan, SMK St John (M) and SMK Bandaraya KK who took part in the state level competition.

Earlier, SM St Michael Penampang was given the most innovative award for their water related project named BekAch, which is ingeniously designed to harness water efficiently from air-conditioners.

With support from the Education Ministry, Shell NXplorers Malaysia worked with over 1,000 secondary school students from 25 schools across Malaysia.

These students were given the opportunity to gain hands-on STEM learning, with a focus on technology.