| Nazurah Noor & Nur Basitah Raduan |
THE Shell Eco-Marathon (SEM) began in 1939 at a Shell research laboratory in the United States as a friendly wager between scientists to see who could get the most miles per gallon from their vehicle.
The winner of that contest barely achieved 50 mpg (21 km/l), and from these humble origins, a more organised competition evolved. In 1985 in France, Shell Eco-marathon as we know it today was born.
In April 2007, the Shell Eco-marathon Americas event was launched in the United States, and in 2010, the inaugural Shell Eco-marathon Asia was held in Malaysia, up until 2013. Since 2014, the event has been held in Manila, Philippines, which will continue to host the event until 2016.
SEM has been offering youth unique opportunities to develop new approaches to smarter mobility by providing them a platform to work on energy efficient solutions in a very practical way.
The recent SEM Asia held in Manila saw an array of innovative entries that came in various shapes, colours and sizes.
For Team Universiti Teknologi Brunei’s One-U, the Electrical Engineering students were working on the electrical part of their vehicle to ensure the motor controller and other electrical components were in great shape.
Once passed, Pahlawan II went on track for the Prototype Battery-electric category challenge with much hope. However, Lester Ong Kai Xiang was unable to finish 10 laps within 29 minutes. According to Lester, it was down to the motor, “We made it on track after passing the technical inspection. However on the track, the vehicle was not producing enough speed. After a few runs around the track, it seemed that there was a problem with the motor controller and realised that it has blown.”
Teams queueing to get a valid run on the track
Team Universiti Teknologi Brunei’s One-U with their Prototype Battery-electric debutant, Pahlawan II
Brakes being inspected before going out to the track
UBD’s Team GenNext Pejuang pose with their Prototype Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle, Nakhoda
He added that time and resources were also limited, “We only had 30 minutes to go back and make our next attempt. We tried resourcing from other countries’ teams, however only one had the same specifications as ours and they were about to go make their runs too.”
Team Universiti Teknologi Brunei’s One-U only managed one attempt on the track for the mentioned category. As first-timers, the team are proud that they have managed to come this far and finally realise their participation in the competition. They are motivated and encouraged to come back stronger next year.
As for Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s (UBD) Team GenNext Pejuang, they didn’t manage to get a valid run from the two attempts that they made on the track. The disappointment was felt amongst the whole team as they have worked on the car for such a long time and they felt that they have let down the people supporting them in Brunei.
However, team manager Zhafri also pointed out, “But with this kind of motivation itself, it will drive the team to become a greater contender in the next SEM. The valuable experience that we have learned from the past seven days will be remembered in order to improve, be better prepared and not to repeat the mistakes that we’ve encountered in this year’s SEM.
“I am happy with the team’s team spirit as they show no sign of giving up until the very end, the teamwork quality and fluidity as every problem we encountered we have sorted it out together. I am also happy that the team is committed and shared the same passion throughout the entire project and this event.”
The experience and knowledge the teams gained throughout their journey was also valuable despite not achieving a placing in the competition.
They were able to share ideas and broaden their network with other student teams from the region. Their journey was not limited to just the seven days of their stay for the competition but in fact a year to put everything together in place. The SEM Asia project emphasised on innovation and supports youth development.
The competition challenges student teams from around the world to design, build and test ultra energy-efficient vehicles which means one that can travel the furthest with the least fuel.
The competition has given the students a platform to explore and experiment with technology and fuels to develop creative and innovative mobility solutions.
In their SEM Asia journey, students have had to exercise their leadership and teamwork; and apply their technical, problem solving, communications and self-reliance skills.
The competition has also encouraged the students to plan and execute their projects efficiently in terms of time and cost; and innovatively.
This is in line with Brunei Vision 2035 to build highly skilled and educated individuals. Brunei has been active in sending student teams to the competition since 2011.
There were over 100 car entries from across Asia and the Middle East. SEM is an opportunity for the teams to break down cultural barriers and learn from one another, so there’s an element of collaboration in addition to the technology innovation fostered which is equally important to address.
More than just a competition, SEM Asia is a celebration of innovation and technology as well as an educational platform for local and foreign visitors alike to realise that shaping a sustainable energy future starts with initiative and collective effort. Members of the public can follow the journey of both teams through their Instagram accounts @ubdsem and @itb.sem.
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