Category: Information

SDP / FYP – Week 2

Hello my Senior Design Project (SDP) and Final Year Project (FYP) students! With a total of 7 projects—5 SDP and 2 FYP—we are diving deep into embedded systems, working with FPGA (DE10-Lite), Raspberry Pi, and Raspberry Pi Pico while integrating the UMPSA STEM Cube.

For each project, we will focus on three key objectives:

1. Developing a Functional Embedded System

  • Ensuring our electronic systems can retrieve sensor data and send control signals effectively.

  • Interfacing with sensors like GPS, BME280, accelerometers, and LoRa to collect and transmit real-time data.

2. Building a Robust Logging & Database System

  • Storing sensor readings efficiently to track environmental, health, or industrial data over time.

  • Using local storage (SQLite) or cloud-based solutions (Firebase, InfluxDB, AWS IoT) depending on the project needs.

3. Creating an Interactive Dashboard for Visualization

  • Developing a user-friendly dashboard to monitor sensor data trends and alerts.

  • Utilizing platforms such as Grafana, Node-RED, Flask, or custom web interfaces for real-time visualization.

Beyond these core goals, we are taking the next step in intelligent systems by integrating predictive analytics and maintenance strategies. AI and ML algorithms will play a crucial role in making our systems smarter, more efficient, and capable of detecting anomalies before failures occur.

I am excited to be working with each of my students on these projects. Over the next two semesters, we will be designing, prototyping, testing, and optimizing our systems—bridging the gap between hardware, software, and intelligence.

This journey isn’t just about completing projects; it’s about exploring innovations in embedded systems, wireless sensor networks, and AI-driven applications. I look forward to seeing the creativity, dedication, and breakthroughs we will achieve together   🙂 !

1st meeting.

Each project should focus on a specific research problem and apply different algorithms or techniques. Some possible research directions include:

Project Theme Focus Potential Algorithms
LoRa-Based Wireless Sensor Networks Energy-efficient WSN for long-range environmental monitoring Kalman Filter, LSTM (Time Series Forecasting)
Raspberry Pi-Based Image Processing Real-time embedded vision for industrial/environmental monitoring YOLOv8, CNN-based object detection
FPGA-Based Sensor Fusion Low-latency edge computing with FPGA and sensor fusion Particle Filter, Sensor Fusion Algorithms
Predictive Maintenance for IoT Systems AI-driven fault detection in embedded systems LSTM, Random Forest, Anomaly Detection
AI-Assisted Embedded System for Health Monitoring Wearable sensor networks with real-time AI processing Deep Learning, Reinforcement Learning


Define a clear problem statement for each project
Compare state-of-the-art techniques with your implementation
Collect real-world data and analyze performance metrics
Optimize power, accuracy, and efficiency of algorithms

Robot Literacy 2025/1 – Rumah Casa Harapan Kuantan

*UMP STEM Lab Robot Literacy – Introduction to Robot and Robotics can be found here.

33 school children from Rumah Casa Harapan Kuantan had participated in this program. Students have gone through activities including robot anatomy, actuators and sensors.

Thank you PEMEKAR – Datin Seri Fazia & Dato Seri Daing for initiating the program and coordinating the communication between STEM Lab and the participants.

Invited Speaker – Pembudayaan STEM Dan Digital PPD Kuantan, Exploria

Today I had the opportunity to speak at a gathering of primary and secondary school headmasters from the Kuantan District, an event organized under the Exploria, Pahang State Education Department and Kuantan District Education Department. The focus of my talk was “Pembudayaan STEM di Sekolah” (Fostering STEM Culture in Schools), where I shared UMPSA STEM Lab’s experience in promoting STEM education through our philosophy of See, Think, Explore, Marvel.

STEM Beyond Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

While STEM is typically defined as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, at UMPSA STEM Lab, we believe it goes beyond just disciplines. Instead, we see STEM as an interdisciplinary and experiential learning approach that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.

Our philosophy—See, Think, Explore, Marvel—guides our approach –

  • See (Melihat) – Exposing students to real-world STEM applications and inspiring curiosity
  • Think (Berfikir) – Encouraging problem-solving and logical reasoning
  • Explore (Meneroka) – Engaging in hands-on learning and experimentation
  • Marvel (Mengagumi) – Instilling a sense of wonder and appreciation for innovation

At UMPSA STEM Lab, we embed this philosophy into our digital making skillset activities, ensuring that students and educators engage in practical, hands-on learning that enhances their understanding of STEM concepts.

Affordable Learning Kits: A Stepping Stone for STEM Education

During my talk, I shared a personal story about my journey in learning to play a musical instrument. As a child, I wanted to learn the piano, but at the time, music classes were expensive. However, thanks to the inclusion of music education in formal schooling, I had the opportunity to learn using a recorder—a much more affordable instrument. That experience gave me the confidence to later join the school marching band and eventually learn more complex instruments, such as the saxophone.

This experience mirrors the motivation behind UMPSA STEM Lab’s approach to developing cost-effective learning kits for STEM education. Just as the recorder served as a stepping stone to mastering musical instruments, our affordable learning kits serve as a foundation for students to develop their skills in areas like programming, robotics, and physical computing. By providing accessible tools, we lower the entry barrier for students, enabling them to explore and build confidence in STEM learning.

STEM Education Research: Constructivist Learning in Digital Making

Beyond outreach and engagement, UMPSA STEM Lab is also actively involved in research on STEM education, particularly in digital making. During the session, I highlighted some of our key research efforts:

  • Constructivist Approach to Learning Programming: Our IEEE Transactions paper explores how UMPSA STEM Cube, based on Raspberry Pi technology, enhances programming education through hands-on learning.

  • Arduino Robotics: We apply the Black Box-White Box approach in robotics education, guiding students from conceptual understanding to hands-on implementation.

  • Tiered Scaffolding in STEM Learning: We use progressive learning structures to gradually increase the complexity of tasks, helping students build their skills step by step.

Panel Discussion: Strengthening Collaboration in STEM Education

Following my talk, I had the privilege of joining a panel discussion on Pembudayaan STEM. The discussion emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between the education community, industry, and higher learning institutions. I shared my vision for working closely with schools in both STEM outreach programs and STEM education research. By fostering stronger networks and sharing best practices, we can ensure that STEM education remains accessible, engaging, and impactful for students across Malaysia.

Moving Forward: Building a Sustainable STEM Culture

At UMPSA STEM Lab, we believe that STEM is more than just subjects—it’s a culture of learning and discovery. Moving forward, we will continue to:

  • Develop cost-effective learning kits to make STEM education more inclusive
  • Strengthen research efforts in STEM education and digital making
  • Foster collaborations with the education community to create sustainable STEM outreach programs

We look forward to working with schools, educators, and policymakers to build a vibrant and dynamic STEM culture in Malaysia. Together, let’s empower the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and critical thinkers.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the UMPSA, faculty members, fellow academicians, collaborators (locally and internationally), teachers, school children, and student mentors who have been with UMPSA STEM Lab throughout this journey. The curiosity, enthusiasm, and unwavering support in participating in our STEM activities have been truly inspiring. It is the young mind’s eagerness to explore, learn, and innovate that fuels our passion to continue developing engaging STEM experiences. Seeing the excitement and creativity you bring into the classroom motivates us to keep pushing boundaries and making STEM education more accessible, hands-on, and impactful. Thank you for being a part of this journey—together, let’s continue to See, Think, Explore, and Marvel in the world of STEM!

 

Micro-credential 2025/1 (Python, RPi Config, RPi Prog)

Alhamdulillah, after nearly two weeks of editing videos and curating content :{ , I’ve finally completed setting up the Microcredential courses for two subjects: Innovation (BTE1522) and Programming & Data Structure (DRE2213) 🙂 . These are skill-based subjects, and I strongly believe that learning by doing is the most effective way to build real-world competency.

Embodied Learning in Python Programming

Over the past three years at UMPSA STEM Lab, I’ve conducted numerous activities related to programming and embedded systems. One key takeaway – Embodiment in learning makes all the difference.

For this course, students won’t just learn Python theoretically—they will code, experiment, and interact with real applications. Instead of passively absorbing syntax, they will embody the concepts through a game-based approach. We introduce Python programming by developing a Slider Game, where key concepts such as functions, variables, and control statements are applied practically. This approach ensures that students grasp programming not just in theory but as an interactive, hands-on experience.

Raspberry Pi & The UMPSA STEM Cube: A Project-Based Approach (LINK)

Beyond Python, the Raspberry Pi segment of the course integrates a project-based learning approach centered around the UMPSA STEM Cube—our very own pico-satellite project. Here, students will engage in real-world applications of embedded systems, experiencing firsthand how concepts like sensor integration, data collection, and communication protocols play a role in building functional technology. By embodying the process of making a pico-satellite, students move beyond just coding—they engage in engineering design, problem-solving, and real-world applications.

Returning to FPGA: A Passion Rekindled

Besides these courses, I’ll also be teaching Digital System Design using FPGA 🙂 —a subject I have loved since my own undergraduate days! It has been quite a while since I last taught FPGA-based digital design, and I’m excited to bring my passion for hardware design back into the classroom. FPGA is a field where you can see logic come to life, and I look forward to guiding students through this exciting journey of designing and implementing digital circuits.

Looking Forward to a Year of Engaging Teaching & Learning

As we move forward, I’m eager to see how these Teaching & Learning (TnL) activities unfold this year. I believe in the power of active learning, and I’m excited to foster a classroom environment where students don’t just learn concepts—they experience them firsthand.

Here’s to another year of innovative teaching, hands-on projects, and passion-driven learning!