The degree combines multiple disciplines in engineering & computer science, producing in-
demand graduates for the fast-changing market. The university will be hosting its first nationwide Sumo Robot Open Competition open to all pre-U and university students.
demand graduates for the fast-changing market. The university will be hosting its first nationwide Sumo Robot Open Competition open to all pre-U and university students.
Subang Jaya, 4 February 2021 – With the nation’s first-of-its-kind bachelor’s degree in Robotic
Design & Development, Taylor’s University is at the forefront of robotics education and research.
Integrating knowledge and skills from different engineering disciplines, the programme is built to
give students a broad-based overview of multiple specialisations – making them highly adaptable to
today’s fast-paced employment market.
Endorsed by industrial experts from the Malaysian Robotic and Automation Society (MyRAS), the 3-
year programme looks to expose students to a valuable 32-week working experience on real-world
challenges in their final year, placing them at some of the top industrial names: Western Digital,
FourFang, Robopreneur, Omron Electronics, and Me.Reka to name a few.
The programme comes at a time when there is an increased demand for robotics engineers in its
push towards Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) in Malaysia. 1 Rise of technologies such as machine
learning and artificial intelligence during the era of Internet-of-Things are key factors that prompt
the demand for robotics engineers. It is projected that the number of jobs in the field will grow
9% between 2016 and 2026, leading to a shortage of qualified engineers.
Speaking at the launch, Taylor’s University Deputy Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer
Professor Dr Pradeep Nair notes the significance of robotics talents in Malaysia’s national agenda:
“IR4.0 technologies, such as robotics, have long proven the capabilities to entirely transform the
manufacturing value chain. However, the pandemic has revealed how vulnerable global supply
chains can be and has motivated manufacturers to further expand their digital capabilities to future-
proof their business in the new normal. That said, the lack of robotics talent in the local market will
hinder this recovery process – we cannot, and should not, have to rely on foreign talents alone to fill
high-income jobs. That is the motivation behind the launch of Robotic Design & Development
programme – to produce IR4.0 compliant graduates to drive the current market and spearhead the
revolution internationally.”
The virtual event was graced with the presence of Dr Ishkandar Baharin, President of Malaysia
Robotics & Automation Society (MyRAS). “The automation capabilities enabled by advanced robotics and AI/cognitive can lead to ample opportunities to innovate and bring the industry to the next
level. Currently, we are just at the start of this technology adoption – there are more work to be
done, especially in talent development. Because of this, we constantly work with partners across
different clusters including the government, industry, academic and public, to raise awareness on
the need for robotics and automation in Malaysia. Our vision is to be a professional platform where all engineers and technologies can meet and network to discuss about robotics and automation
program in the country,” said Dr Ishkandar.
The programme will be taught by 100% certified professionals with both academic and industrial
backgrounds, including Professional Engineers and Professional Technologists in leading companies.
This means that there is a potential opportunity for the students to be absorbed as interns or
permanent staff in top-tier organisations before or upon graduation. With a flexible and innovative
teaching framework powered by TCF2.0, the School of Computer Science and Engineering at Taylor’s
University, aims to offer graduates a fast-tracked entrance to the industry. This keeps in line with
Taylor’s top university in Malaysia for employer reputation in the QS World University Rankings 2020
and QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020 results. Additionally, Taylor’s is also one of the partnering schools with Robopreneur Sdn. Bhd, a fast-
growing service robotics company based in Malaysia with a strong focus on R&D in robotics
technology and innovation. The collaborative efforts in research between two parties may also result
in ground-breaking frontiers for the industry.
Dr. Hanafiah Yussof, the Founder, Board of Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of
Robopreneur Sdn Bhd, congratulates the school: “We believe that the partnership with Taylor’s
University will bring us closer to becoming the leader of service robotics in Malaysia, followed by in
the ASEAN region. The additional exposure provided to graduates of the Taylor’s programme will
also ensure that they have an edge against regular engineering grads, landing them high-income
roles that are in-demand. I look forward to seeing young, budding talents taking a stab at real-world
issues throughout their learning journey and finding their passion in the robotic industry.”
First ever Taylor’s University Sumo Robot Open Competition In conjunction with the launch, Taylor’s has also announced their first nationwide Sumo Robot Open Competition open to all pre-U and university students, accompanied by series of preparation workshops leading up to the competition, set on August 2021. Sumo robot, or robot-sumo, is a sport in which two robots attempt to push each other out of a circle (in similar fashion to the sport of sumo-wrestling). The robots used in this competition are called Sumobots.
There will be two open categories for the competition: 1) Pre-university level and 2) University level.
To prepare students for the competition, robotic workshops led by academia and industry
professionals will be held in weeks prior to the finale. Registration of the competition starts from 4
February 2021 to 3 March 2021.
There will also be different judging criteria for the sumobots in each category. For the pre-university
category (Bluetooth-Remote Controlled), the robot can be remotely controlled via Bluetooth
connection only. All remote controls must be digitally-mated pairs. Remote control robots must start
on a signal from the tournament official as no augmented autonomous controls are allowed on the
robot. All robot motion must be directly due to the teleoperation of the operator. Under the university category (Autonomous), robots must be autonomous. Any method of control may be used, if it is fully contained within the robot and receives no external signals or directions (human, machine, or otherwise). Autonomous robot operation must begin automatically no less than five seconds after being started by the user. Robots starting before the five second mark forfeit that Yuhkoh point. To learn more about the contest, kindly visit the https://universitytaylors.wixsite.com/sumo-comp