what's next for my robotics....???

The only thing left that i want to win before graduate is the most prestigious robotics competition in Malaysia, ROBOCON. But, does UM stands a chance to win it?? let us have some analysis about it.

When i first came into University of Malaya, i heard plenty of saying that UM students only know about exam exam and exam. At that time, I thought that was true, for majority of students, but not all. I knew the quality of the students was there, because UM is the top choice for malaysian students. I came to the conclusion that we need to twist a bit in our learning processes. Hence, i had a vision to change this, to change the process for better. Nearing the end of my 2nd year, i began to work in this direction. I've drafted a long term planning starting from the end of my 2nd year to the end of my final year. The planning comprised of 2 years itineraries. i'm going to use some competitions as the opportunities for my planning. The planning was not mean for me alone. It included my fellow coursemates, my juniors, my juniors' juniors, and beyond.

Hence, towards the end of my 2nd year study, i suffered and determined to self-learn all the basic of practical robotics knowledge.That was really a very difficult period, strong determination was needed. I've seen what the seniors had done, i've seen what the other universities' seniors had done, their ways simply not working for me. Hence, I worked hard, get information from internet, books, journals, thesis and have developed steps of design processes where the product developments time will be shortened by a large margin. i've mastered the basic knowledge. At the end of my 2nd year, i pass on whatever i knew to my coursemates, i taught them what i knew, so that at the later stage we can progress together. Then, a series of test began. first, in combat robot organized by MMU, we lost teribly, but under planning. Then, in ROBOGAMEZ 2008 organized by uniten, we lost teribly and humiliated by other universities, still under planning. Surprisingly, after that, something happened to me, and i was so determined to do better and finally the electronics sensors designed by me worked better than i expected. In the end, we won something in ROBOCON 2009, the best idea award, but not under planning, we should lost. This is the 1st reward we got in 2009, at last something happened. But nobody in the university was delighted, you know lah.... UM mah... hence we still worked hard in our little non-air-conditioned workshop.

After the ROBOCON 2009, then a series of targeted test began. First, Combat Robot again organized by MMU. Finally we won something, under planning. Then, we went one step further to win something in Schneider Electric University Challenge, a bonus for us. After a while, finally we won the ROBOGAMEZ 2009, unexpected but under planning. One week later, our colour sensor won the silver award in PECIPTA, unexpected and not under planning.

Last but not least, this is the real one. According to my planning, in ROBOCON 2010, we plan to win it. Yes, but does it possible? ROBOCON were dominated by UTM and MMU, how so? One of the reasons is their technology have matured. They have their very own controllers. They have their own structural innovation. They have bought enough sensors for them to use for 100 years. This, is really really thanks to their lecturers. Their lecturers are very responsible to make sure the students' progress and knowledge are up to benchmarks. In UM, what we have?? yes, all politics, everybody know how to talk but dont know how to do. The situation changed in UM this year where we, the students successfully for the first time, have self-developed a matured and very reliable technology for robotics. Unfortunately, that happened only week before the competitions. The testing was not done enough, the problems were not solved. The team were not ready. But under planning. This year is totally different, we, like MMU and UTM, have enough time for testing, from this coming December to next May, 6 months!!! we will be one of the teams that fight for the malaysia champion for the coming competition, under planning. But things may get deviated from their objectives. Things like politics and malaysian famous sensitive issues can destroy all. They destroyed lots of things in the past, and people are already showing signs that the planning is going to get disturbed by these issues. They start to show their ugly faces, and like other activities in UM, they are going to destroy it. What can we do to deal with it? a group of mature and well-organized students will counter any challenge in their journey, be it the politics, or other issues that i cant mention here.

i'm trying to pass on as many knowledge as possible to the juniors, under planning, but time is limited. we are going to graduate soon... the last plan of the 2 years itineraries, ROBOCON 2010, can we do it? like i've said, everything depends on politics. For the students to respect the lecturers and university's staffs, the staffs will need to respect the students too.

Finally, we need air-conditioner, somebody helps us...

PECIPTA MALAYSIA 2009

It's really being a while since i post something on this blog... it's being a really busy period for me this few weeks... the last of a series of events is the PECIPTA Malaysia 2009... where for this year... University of Malaya is the organizer of the event. The UM booth in the exhibition is strategically placed near the entrance. The "business" was good for us, we are visited by a lot of visitors

myself at the entrance of KLCC hall 2 with the floor plan & the exhibition list. All public universities and 2 private universities took part in the exhibition.

booth of my project "Digital Color Sensor". Background is the booths of University of Malaya

The overall decoration of my booth. This is the first time i participated in such international exhibition. Hence the booth is a little bit messy
The products that i spent 6 months in R&D and another 6 months in testing.

Birthday Wishes

my birthday again... every year the same day.... how strange? for western calender... my birthday felt on 29th of August... I love this date.... For chinese calender... my birthday felt on 6th of Month of seven in 1987.... every year i will have a few wishes for my birthday....

I hope to write this here so i won't forget it again... every year i told myself to work hard.... and believe in myself that i can have a successful future.... to make my family proud... this is the dream of every kampung boy.... i believe.... indeed... since secondary school... after i gave up on playing computer games... i worked hard everyday to make sure i was competitive.... indeed... my hard work paid and i got very good results in many of the things i did.... i was very happy... in secondary school... in pre-U study... and in U.... i was very happy... the things were great.... i have accomplished many... but in the end... i realized that something went wrong... after so much hard work... something missing... ya... i never know how to grab the opportunity for myself... i got great result in government examination... but i never know how to apply for scholarship... i never know how to take on the opportunity... so the opportunities gone.... i never know how to make good use of my knowledge.... just keep working hard... like my father.... we are same.... we worked hard all the times... but we never know how to enjoy the success... work hard again and again... but often didn't tell others what we have done... but we like it this way.... i dont know why... i love to live this way.... but i must remind myself that .... there is one more option in my life.... after undergraduates... where should i go??.... this time i cannot miss my opportunity.. i have to learn how to make myself selfish... how to think about my own future... i believe this is my birthday wish for this year.....

Harry Potter

Last week i was reading the Harry Potter last book... The Deathly Hallows... Like other book... and like what i liked to do then... i've finished it very fast... it's the best book out of all 7 harry potter books, in my opinion. I love the last 3 chapters of the books which are so funny yet entertaining.

I've fallen in love with story books since secondary school. I still remembered about the Lord of the Ring. The time was form 4, and i've a very, very poor english background. The lord of the ring is a classical piece of work. The language used is nothing similar to common conversational english. I read the first page... don't understand, second page... don't understand, third page... don't understand too.... and then i read the whole book of the fellowship of the ring, without any understanding to the book. i've finished it, but i didnt know what i've read. That's life. That was my first classical english story book. But fortunately, when my progress reached the return of the king, that was becoming better and better. Finally i understand who's who, who's doing what.

And then came Harry Potter that time, my best friend borrowed me the Sorcerer's Stone and the chamber of secret. Then finally i've finished the last book now, after 2 years it was published, due to lack of free time. But in my opinion, the most exciting moment came from Dan Brown's books, especially the Da Vinci Code. I finished it in 2 days, simply amazing the story. The new book of Dan Brown, The lost symbol, will be published next month, which i'm still looking for the source of reading it. Simply buy it will be to expensive for my pocket. More expensive than the one year subscription version of Kaspersky internet security 2010. The only regret is that i haven read any of Jing Yong's novel. I regret it very much. But no matter, i'm going to find it and read it in the future. The thinnest and most meaningful book in my collection is "300 Tang Poems". There are the essence of a unbelievable Dynasty of China. And it is very, very beautiful. I think i don't sound like someone who're studying E&E engineering.

Good to hear from myself again after a long time

It's being a long time since i have written my blog... and today i've decided to start all over again to write about something. For the past few months, i've been too busy with my own projects, namely ROBOCON competition and other competitions. The feelings are great when all these stuff have ended. At last that i can have some personal time to figure out the way i want to live.

For once, i've been foolish enough to just drop everything that i've and concentrate on something about knowledge... i've nearly let the materialistic reality control my mind. For once, i've nearly fallen into the material world. For once, i've nearly turn myself into a greedy fellow. For once, i've nearly fall into the trap that allow people to determine what type of life that i wanna live. For once, i've been so stupid to think about other people and not think about myself. That's when i've somebody to depend on. The feeling that nothing i can depend on now has finally stimulate myself to think about resting, to think about my own life.

When i was playing with Kadet Remaja Sekolah in Jit Sin, i've had some systematic thinking. I was so happy that time that i didnt allow people to intrude my mindset. I've my own way of thinking that lead to success. I'm thinking that perhaps i should have learned from my secondary school's self. The feeling is that my past was far more better than my present self. i'm trying to switch back to my past self and restructure my mindset.

Hence, the point is.... i'm changing myself again.... forget about the evil and the disappointment... think more about the happiness and goodness...

creativity

I have a hobby to do something weird with all the ideas that my mind can think of.... i like to experience something that people around me never experience before... i like to do things different from others.... i like to put a lot of creativity in my study... hence.... in another word.. i dont like exam... but i do like design.... i think i will be a design engineer in the future... i'm very happy to be an EE student... knowing that i have the opportunity to involve in those electronic design processes... it makes me excited... electricity can be used in any field in this world... it is the energy of the future... the energy that run our cars in the future.... the energy that helps everything the human dont like to do.... and it is the power to control the world.... the nation that pioneered in electronic system will rule the world.... the nation that pioneered in setting up factories of foreigners will follow the world in behind... 

ok.... so in conclusion.... i like to make souvenirs.... although i dont know how to make a beautiful one..... all my handmade souveniers are ugly... but it represents the sincere gift..... although it is not beautiful.... but i do hope people will like it.... hence.... whatever gift that i would like to present to others..... even a friend that i dont know much... most of them... i will make them myself... but the reasons behind are not that simple... your creativity improved everytime you struggle to think about a new souvenir design.... and this is exactly what i'm looking for... to become a good design engineer... i need those creativities that learned through making souveniers...

last night in penang

the last night i stay in penang is like nothing i have experienced before... i am here... in my house.... the good thing is.... i can do whatever i like.... the bad thing is.... i'm home alone.... but we must always look at the bright side of everything.... this year i have the opportunity of tasting everything people called "penang foods".... coz this year i dont eat at home... i dont have reunion dinner... so for every meal in the past few days... i was able to search for my favourite dishes.... of course.... "favourite" always means "cheap".... "cheap" is always my priority... "tasty" comes second.... but fortunately..... for tonight.... my brother will come back to find me..... then we will go mamak stall eat and have some conversation together.... 

the chinese new year always provide us adequate time to think carefully about ourselves and our annual planning... and yes.... i do think about myself a lot for this chinese new year.... i realized i got frustrated always in the past.... mainly for the reasons when i thought something has went wrong.... but in another word.... we can say that in reality... "right" means majority think it is correct... "wrong" means majority think it is wrong.... and "OK" also means majority think it is OK.... hence... i think i have to understand this... i have to understand that if people think it is "OK".... then i have to control myself... dont get angry.... coz people will always think you are crazy.... for you got angry with things that they think is "OK"... i have developed this kind of behaviour throught my 2 years university life... time to change.... yes... time to change... dont get angry always.... bad for my health.... haha....

chinese new year holiday

there are plenty of wonderful memories when a student like me, go back to my hometown. but this year is a very special new year for me... 

i bought a carton of jolly shandies myself .... then i drank them myself.. i bought a carton of yeos... then i drank them myself... i bought 2 bottles of tiger... i havent drunk them.... i bought a box of new year cookies.... then i ate them myself.... i switched on the tv myself... then i watched it myself.... i switched on the radio... then i listened to the chinese new year songs myself.... i bought the lunch... then i ate it myself... i bought the dinner... then i ate it myself....

but on the bright side, for the first time in years, i have a lot of time to get rest in this chinese new year holiday... and have a lot of time to meet with some old friends... think about my future planning... relax... rest.... and do whatever stuff that i would like to do.... but.... it seems like too many free times for me.... anyway... i will drive back to UM in this coming friday.... and continue to live a busy life there.... happy chinese new year.....!!!

11 January 2009 what a wonderful day

firstly, i would like to write my first paragraph for rubbish purpose, which i wont expect people to understand this paragraph... so just ignore it if necessary.... today i made a huge discovery in my colour sensor. finally, i have found out the real enemy who has twice broke my signal processing circuit in the sensor. a moment ago, i have finally discovered the truth... the signal processing circuit that i designed become so "advance" that my power regulator no longer can withstand the quantity of power need to supply to the circuit, hence my circuit broke down frequently... so i need to modify the power supply again......T.T........

after the next few days, if not mistaken is saturday night, there will be a CC reunion dinner for my college in "new paris" restaurant. by following the tradition, 3rd year students need to give something to all students. but the problem is, for 1st and 2nd years students alone, we have 150+ students!!! walao... so we actually need to prepare up to 150 gifts. it is impossible and unreachable. hence, a lot of 3rd year students choose not to attend the dinner. my roommate is one of them. but unfortunately, this year i decided to go, mainly because i'm very busy every day, hence i need sometimes to relax myself a bit. that dinner will be a time for me to just relax and listening to others talking rubbishes... so i will go.... 

as usual on sunday, i bought 2 newspapers... one is The Star, another one is NST. but i have cut down extremely my consumption and reliability on newspapers. nowadays i dont read them everyday, perhaps only once or twice a week. the reason behind?? of course, i have no mood to read anymore... but i know sooner or later i will reignite and reinstate my feeling towards newspapers, coz i simply cant live without them. i really love them. people said i'm crazy, i still remember when i was in the first year of my university life. i have no transportation. and on every sunday, all the shops in the campus were closed. hence, you cant find anywhere that sold the newspaper inside the campus. hence, i purposely walked 40 minutes in every sunday morning to station LRT "universiti" for 2 rolls of english newspapers. i wondered why there wasnt any english newspaper in college for all of us to read. perhaps this is why we need to waste so much money to set up an english training course for undergraduates before they graduate.

6-1-2009 the time is ticking.....

it was a really busy first week of the new semester for me as i have to settle a lot of class timetable modifications and arrangements as my lecturers are famous of changing timetables without considering others... even other lecturers... the time... for me ... is getting faster and faster... yup.. it's good for me.... i want my life to move on quickly for this moment.... looking at Gaza, then looking at myself... yup... i'm still very lucky to still have a father and brothers.... i need to appreciate every person and thing around me.... i do need to help others who dont have the opportunity to sit down and online like me.... 

it's time for another rubbish paragraph... ok.... so what was i doing for the past few days?? nothing more than producing a few hundreds of circuit boards.... it is one of the parts where i hate most... you need to do the same stuffs everyday and troubleshooting same products everyday... i think i need to assign one person who responsible for production .... then i can continue my research .... 

and this one is one of my most dont-like-to-mention paragraph.... the campus election is just around the corner... and my ex-project, the national blood donation UM station is also just around the corner... but very unfortunately... because the campus election is just around the corner, hence the blood donation campaign will be push to the next-to-just-around-the-corner. if the HEP allows us to continue with the blood donation campaign... i can surely tell you that the campaign sure pecah all the records of past few years leh..... because those rubbish candidates will definitely bring their supporters come together to donate blood... to show how "caring" they are, and to show how "sincere" they are.... then some of the rubbish candidates will berpura-pura faint after donate blood... objective??... to get free publicity... then these rubbish candidates will make all people faint for the whole year after they are voted in to the student council....

ok.... i need to sleep more tonight.... and i realize i like to dream for the past few weeks.... sometimes i dreamt about the people i love... sometimes i dreamt about the people i hate... sometimes i dreamt about the people i dont want to dream about...  i wonder what is my dream tonight......

2-1-2009(FRIDAY)

difficult times keep coming.... my black hair keep turning white.... and the next thing i know.... i keep falling a lot of hair.... i need to sapu them almost every morning.... but fortunately... my hair keep growing at a very very fast pace... i looked very old these few weeks.... there were so much things happened that i cant looked young anymore... the mood has changed, the attitude has changed, the situation has changed, i feel so lonely, i feel so upset about things, i feel so depressed and disappointed about things, i feel so sad.......... my whole family are separating, the people i love keep leaving... i dont know what can i do when i back to penang in this coming chinese new year... i dont want to cry again.... i have cried for 9 days at home last month... yesterday cried again... today cried again... i want a new life.... 

so.... this was something related to my emotion... i was a very alert, sometimes emotionless person when i was young, probably in secondary school. i could control my every emotional moment precisely, but not now... definitely... i become so emotional... things keep happening... my heart keep breaking.... and the next thing i know... i want a new life.... 

a new life.....

a life that i can do what i like to do... research... developments... designs... organizers.... leaders... talk... talk... talk...

a life that there are people who can talk rubbish to a weird creature like me...

a life that i'm given various opportunities to upgrade and expose myself....

a life that i dont need to talk chinese to others......

a life which i dont have now.....

a life that everything start from zero..... people said we will be in a very difficult situation everytime we start a new life in a new place... but i guess not me..... i will be happier if i have the opportunity to start a new life.... i really want to leave..... 

1-1-2009

Happy new year............!!!!!!!!!

a new year.... and a new beginning.... a wonderful day .... and a colourful day....

for the past year.... there were so much ups and downs happened to me.... so ... i rate it as an unpredictable adventurous year. but basically, what i planned to do last year have been completed. actually i have achieved more than what i want... i really very happy about it... perhaps people may feel what i was doing was a normal stuff, nothing special. but, for me, again, i think i have achieved more than what i planned to achieve. especially today, where i have successfully write my first truely own algorithm for colour processing... sounds like rubbish.. right?? haha... nevermind.. basically these were some parts of what i was doing last year... but still struggling to adapt to the condition and the fact that i have lost my mom and my grandmom last month... i really struggling for it.... hence, if let say.. i really have the opportunity to change my university and start a new life in a new location... i will go immediately... and without any hesitation i will..... unfortunately... it is very difficult to make it happens... unless someone comes to me and helps me "run away"... then i will run away without turning back.... coz i urgently need a new life and a new starting point... 

but unfortunately, i cant make today my new starting point, as i have said, i'm still struggling with my condition, a lot of people asked me to go do charity, but sometimes i realize that i'm the one who needed help.... and i think what i'm doing everyday is enough for me.... having vegetarian meals, help others in university, teach others with the knowledge i possed... sometimes going back to visit former teachers, give advice to those young students, i have done all of these from time to time. 

but there are always some downsides after all these stuffs... for example... i still need to do those laboratory cleaning job alone... yup... alone for the whole year.... after i have taught my coursemates so much stuffs.... it's really heart-broken that scared me away from doing too much "charity".... then come to the vegetarian stuff... some people will have this kind of attitude towards me :" you think you are vegetarian will be very "yeng" meh?? i also can eat mah...." hey.... tolonglah... i eat sayur also disturbing your harmony ah??? these are few of those which are some downsides in my situation... but actually i cope with it pretty well... i have "see through the reality" by dont depend on others.... and let people talk what they want to talk....

ok..... enough.... bye for now.... as i want to continue with my next adventure.... digital signal processing... it is something that i love so much since my secondary school day... when i was really very interested in building a hi-fi sound system myself... these will be my adventure for this new semester... tata.....