Skudai, Johor, 19 May 2025 – A multidisciplinary team of students from the Faculty of Computing and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has successfully developed and programmed an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to represent Malaysia in the prestigious Singapore Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Challenge (SAUVC) 2025.
The project was conducted under the guidance of Professor Ir. Dr. Adi Maimun Abdul Malik, a marine systems expert from the Marine Technology Centre (MTC), UTM and academically supported by the Artificial Intelligent & Bioinformatics Group (AIBIG UTM), led by Associate Dr. Azurah A. Samah.
The student-built AUV integrates advanced features including a Raspberry Pi Camera for visual object detection, a Raspberry Pi 5 as the main processing unit, and an Arduino microcontroller for hardware control and feedback. The system is capable of performing autonomous underwater tasks such as object tracking, navigation, and activation of a servo-based grabber mechanism. These capabilities are essential for the challenge, which simulates real-world underwater operations.
SAUVC 2025 was held from 14 to 17 March at Singapore Polytechnic, attracting teams from universities across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The competition served as a real-world platform for demonstrating innovation in marine robotics, simulating scenarios relevant to ocean exploration, environmental monitoring, and underwater search-and-rescue missions.
The student team faced and overcame numerous technical challenges throughout the project, including real-time computer vision implementation, sensor integration, and testing in dynamic water conditions. The experience provided them with valuable exposure to interdisciplinary problem-solving, as well as practical skills in embedded systems, underwater robotics, and AI applications.
Professor Adi Maimun expressed his pride in the team’s achievements, stating that the project provided a meaningful opportunity for students to apply theoretical knowledge in a complex, real-world engineering context. “This project reflects UTM’s commitment to producing graduates who are not only technically capable but also prepared to take on global engineering challenges,” he said.
We gratefully acknowledge the partial sponsorship by the Malaysian Software Engineering Interest Group (MySEIG), which contributed proceeds from APSEC 2019 to the Faculty of Computing Endowment Fund in support of student activities. This generous support has been instrumental in advancing our knowledge and efforts in software research and development.
