TKK is setting the standard for the 'Innovedex 2024' competition, a national robotics competition that all Thai children are eagerly awaiting.

The Innovedex 2024 robot training and competition program has concluded, with impressive results for all parties involved. This includes the organizers, TKK Corporation Co., Ltd., the co-organizers, the Faculty of Engineering, Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology, and the participants, who comprise students and mentors from both junior high and high schools nationwide. They participated in the highly anticipated national robot training and competition. This year marks the third Innovedex event.

This year, a total of 100 student teams from across the country participated, significantly reducing the size of the large conference room at the Faculty of Engineering, Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology. This year's Innovedex 2024 robotics training and competition will be held over three days, from August 30-31, 2024. This training period will feature expert instructors to provide additional knowledge in robotics and automation skills, particularly on the ROS (Robot Operating System), a modern robotics operating system widely used worldwide. This is the primary challenge for the robotics competition, which will continue until September 1, 2024.

And this year, we have the winners of the competition at both the junior high and high school levels, with the following names:

The winning team for the middle school category was St. Dominic School. Team members: Methanan Hasrang, Chitsanupong Thaweechotkitcharoen, and Phansaeng Likhitworakul.

The 1st runner-up team for the lower secondary level is Thepsirin School. Team members: Intouch Chaemsuwanwong, Pannawit Wisawayothanan and Theetat Wichanawilas.

The 2nd runner-up team in the middle school category is Suankularb Wittayalai Rangsit School. Team members: Krittaphon Phritthiphongkun, Kittipat Suphasri, and Phawich Uithawonying.

‍

The winning high school team is DSIL, Drunsikkhalai School of Innovative Learning, KMUTT. Team members: Pakornyot Siriakkrawin, Naphat Yisunsri and Than Trakul.

The 1st runner-up team in the high school category is Sai Tham Chan School, Ratchaburi Province. Team members: Nattawat Samruayprasit, Phuwanat Saelai, and Phonphon Suksaeng.

The 2nd runner-up team in the high school category is Saipanya Rangsit School. Team members: Thanawat Sukhamphon, Thanawat Chudapiromphon, and Phasin Makcharoen.

Sharing the management approach of Innovedex 2024 organizers, we are proud to create a platform for Thai children to showcase their robotics skills, announcing to the world that Thai children are just as talented as anyone else in the world.

Kanlayanee Kongsomjit, CEO of TKK Corporation Co., Ltd., emphasized the company's commitment to organizing the Innovedex 2024 robot training and competition program, saying:

"Innovedex," the name of the robotics training and competition project, is derived from the homonyms "innovation," "experimentation," and "education." It reflects the project's focus on promoting the innovative capabilities of Thai youth through practical learning in robotics and automation. This initiative encourages children to engage in hands-on, hands-on experiments with real robotic equipment. This aligns with the growing demand for skilled and capable personnel in robotics and automation, which will tangibly propel the country towards the Industry 4.0 era."

"And this year, for the Innovedex 2024 robot training and competition, TKK has partnered with the Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology, which offers courses within the Faculty of Engineering and offers courses in robotics and lean automation. This institution has a team of highly skilled faculty and students who can provide knowledge and mentorship to participants in this training and competition."

Second Lieutenant Dr. Chatcharin Lertyosbodin, a lecturer at the Office of Military Studies, National Defence Studies Institute, who is an instructor in the academic department of the Innovedex project and a co-founder of the project, discussed the differences and standards in organizing the Innovedex 2024 robot training and competition program.

"From my experience as both an organizer and a participant in robotics and automation competitions in Thailand, I've found that most previous robotics and automation competitions often have challenges that don't connect with skills required in real-world industrial situations. They tend to be more about competitive sports."

"And when I began working as a professor involved in robotics and automation, I gained experience in robotics education and learning. I found that some research confirmed that the use of robots in primary education is still not aligned with national development guidelines and cannot lead the country to the 4.0 or high-tech era desired by the industrial sector."

"If we're holding a high school robotics competition, we have to admit that the organizing agency hasn't yet established training and competition themes that align with industry trends. While it's true that Thai students possess considerable talent and skills in robotics and automation, the various competition platforms haven't provided much incentive for them to utilize the skills they've gained to further develop and create economic value in the New S-curve or target industries."

"Therefore, the annual Innovedex robot training and competition program, particularly Innovedex 2024, is based on a framework for setting challenges and rules that align with the development of skills used in the industrial sector, such as the robotic arm handling competition and the design of robot control software."

This year's training and competition focused on System Integration (SI), a concept that explores the use of various devices and the ability to create programs, combining them to solve a specific problem. This year's challenge focused on enhancing skills in using SI in conjunction with AI. The challenge involved a factory that needed to sort objects of various types. Contestants were required to use a robot operating system, or ROS, to integrate the various systems. This system would then determine which sorting method to use. This involved combining motors, sensors, cameras, and AI, then solving the given situation.

“Another unique aspect of the Innovedex competition each year is that the competition challenge or scenario is announced only 1-2 days before the actual competition. This leaves advisors with little time to help students or competitors design systems to solve the challenge. Therefore, Innovedex is considered a "master-killer" competition, and it allows contestants to gauge their problem-solving abilities and skills on the day of the event.”

“The Innovedex program is a relatively new robotics training and competition in Thailand, but we prioritize the theme of each year's competition. As mentioned, we focus on developing skills for student participants, enabling them to learn, experiment, and design robot operating systems that align with real-world industrial applications. This core concept, inspired in part by the competition organizer, TKK Corporation, a leader in Thailand's robotics and automation industries, as well as numerous industry partners and sponsors, provides support. Therefore, the competition's themes are primarily focused on the industrial sector.”

“Over the past two days prior to today's competition, we provided knowledge and training to the contestants on the Robot Operating System, or ROS. Both middle and high school teams were very interested and learned quickly. This is further proof that if Thai children are determined to learn and work hard, they can easily develop their potential and become experts in that subject.”

Asst. Prof. Anchalee Supitak, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology, another co-host and venue of this year's Innovedex robotics training and competition, spoke about the cooperation in organizing this year's event, saying:

“The Faculty of Engineering, Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology, has the knowledge and skilled personnel to provide guidance and mentorship to competitors and teachers from various schools. Furthermore, we have a well-equipped competition venue. Therefore, this year, we are collaborating with TKK to organize the Innovedex 2024 robotics training and competition program. This year's Innovedex event provides the student participants with an opportunity to learn from real-world robotic operating systems and automation systems, such as ROS, used in industrial applications worldwide.”

“Throughout the event, the Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology provided students and faculty from the Faculty of Engineering to closely mentor the competing students and also assisted in judging the competition.”

Hear from students and mentors about the extra-curricular knowledge Thai children gained from participating in the Innovedex 2024 training and competition program.

As mentioned earlier, this year, over 100 teams of students from across the country participated in the Innovedex competition. From discussions with many of the competing teams, including their advisors, it was clear that the Innovedex training and competition is a national robotics competition that Thai children look forward to.

Like the winning team in the high school division from DSIL, Darunsikkhalai School, School of Innovative Learning, KMUTT, whose team members include Pakornyot Siriakkrawin, Naphat Yisunsri, and Than Trakul, who expressed their feelings after learning that they had won first place in this year's competition, saying:

"Before competing in Innovedex, we had already competed in several competitions, including robotic storage and line-following robots. We also competed in a robotic arm competition at the Bang Phra Fair. However, Innovedex offered a challenge that suited our needs, as we've designed geared motors and belts before, making us familiar with these types of projects. Fortunately, we have this experience."

"And when I competed in this year's Innovedex, I had the opportunity to learn about the ROS operating system, which was very interesting. I believe what led us to win today was our study of the rules and regulations provided by the competition organizers. Afterward, we consulted with each other to design a robot that could perform the tasks to a certain extent. When we received the final round's challenge, we made only a few adjustments, and we were able to successfully meet the mission requirements."

"Another key factor in our team's victory was our teamwork. I realized that the three of us each have different strengths. For example, one of us excels in design, another in mechanics, and another in electrical systems. This was a perfect combination, and when we formed a team, the work flowed very smoothly. Another factor was probably the training we received in school, both in design and gear making, over the past two semesters."

And on this occasion, we also had a chance to talk with the advisor of the winning high school team. Teacher Chinnapat Mongkolsiriwattana gave us more information about the student team that DSIL Drunsikkhalai School sent to compete in this year's Innovedex project.

"Drunsikalai School adopts a Constructionist approach to teaching, using project-based learning and providing students with the opportunity to work on projects. Students interested in coding often form groups with their peers. Each semester, students devise projects. We assign students with specific interests to different homes, such as the Engineering House, the Doctor's House, and the Film House. As for me, I'm the teacher in charge of the 20-30 students in the Engineering House. When I hear about a competition, I select students with the potential to compete."

“These three students have experience competing in other competitions related to robotics and automation. This will give them a clear picture of how to approach the competition challenge and design a robot to perform the task.”

“The Innovedex competition presents significant challenges for students. The challenges differ from those of other competitions, and the specific programs and operating systems used in the competition are specified. Students are required to learn on-the-job within a limited timeframe. This requires them to divide up tasks, deciding who will lead the learning and transfer the knowledge, who will design the mechanisms, and who will design the electrical systems. This is to create an efficient robot that meets the given challenges.”

“Furthermore, the Innovedex competition brings together students from various schools across the country, providing an opportunity for the students to make new friends, practice communication skills, and unconsciously exchange knowledge. This is something our school prioritizes in cultivating in students, no less than their various hard skills.”

Next, there was a team of female students from Thepsirin School, Samut Prakan, with team members including Pichanan Bunsuep,

Surapha Tonpradit and Suthima Trairattanathewi, with teacher Theeraphat Siaemmai as their advisor, shared their impressions of participating in the Innovedex competition this time.

“We've had the opportunity to compete in several competitions, but when we heard about the Innovedex competition and learned that it would use the ROS operating system, we were very interested. We'd heard about this system for a long time, but hadn't had the chance to learn how it works. So, we wanted to apply to compete to learn and try it out for ourselves.”

"After receiving the challenge the day before the actual competition, the three of us discussed the planning and design process as a team. Specifically, we had to figure out how to code the system to integrate with it, and how to get ROS to capture values and execute commands and modules. Today, when we actually competed, we had to admit that our performance wasn't great. However, we intend to further study the ROS system next year. Currently, we've only learned basic usage from training. Moving forward, we'll need to learn it alongside the Generative AI system, which will be used as a support system. This time, we didn't have much time to use Gen AI."

"This competition not only helped me develop myself and prepare for the next competition, but also helped me practice teamwork and plan my work systematically and step-by-step to design the most efficient ROS robot."

Another team has arrived from Sai Tham Chan School, Damnoen Saduak District, Ratchaburi Province, which has team members consisting of Saran Chaiwicha, Thirawat Tansap, and Phattharaphon Hinkhuntod, who spoke about the challenges of participating in this competition, saying:

"I have to admit that the challenge of the Innovedex competition is designing a robot using coding in a limited time. We only know the challenge the day before the competition, and the team didn't sleep last night as we worked together to design the best robot possible based on the given challenge. I would have liked to participate in the competition again next year, but I can't now because we're all in Mathayom 6. So, I'd like to tell my juniors that the Innovedex competition is a robotics competition that challenges everyone. If you're passionate about designing and developing robots, I encourage you to join us next year. You'll definitely have a great experience."

In addition to the Thai students participating in Innovedex this year, there were also youth from India who flew in specifically to participate in the competition. Three mothers and daughters, Iyana Ramraika, Viaan Ramraika, and NehaDivya Ramraika, were participating in the junior high school competition. From speaking with them, we learned that the challenge they received in the Innovedex robotics competition was unique and challenging. Given that India itself has not yet hosted a robotics competition of the type Innovedex offers, they were eager to participate. They will definitely return to practice their skills and compete again next year.

Innovedex is more than just a competition. It helps spark and transform Thai children back on the path to developing their potential in robotics.

Furthermore, from talking with the advisor teachers who brought the students to compete in the Innovedex project, many teachers also told me about the students who participated in the Innovedex project and how they had positive changes for the children. Starting with Teacher Phaphasarin Phanuariyakiat from Triam Udom Suksa Pattanakarn School, Nonthaburi, who said:

“From talking with the students whom the teacher brought to compete this year, they all agreed that they would like to compete again next year and will return to prepare further, particularly regarding operating systems and robot design guidelines to meet the mission requirements.”

"Therefore, as a teacher advisor, I believe the Innovedex competition has played a significant role in encouraging Thai students interested in robotics and automation to learn new skills and technologies. While some teams may have been disappointed or disappointed this year, their performances were not as good as expected. However, I can sense their determination and determination to return to practice and definitely participate in the competition again next year."

Teacher Chanyawi Siangwong from Sarasas Witaed Bangbuathong School added tha

"For this Innovedex competition, the students themselves came to tell me they wanted to compete. When I brought them to participate, I realized how different it was from other competitions. This competition is open to students, allowing them to use any equipment to design robots. The challenge requires students to think step-by-step through how to separate objects with different characteristics. This helps develop students' critical and logical thinking skills. Furthermore, it provides students with an opportunity to gain a profile in national robot competitions."

"There was a student on the team who was originally a gamer, and his parents came to the teacher to discuss their concerns. However, after he joined the team competing at Innovedex, he transformed from a gamer to a roboticist. This is why the teacher sees Innovedex as more than just a competition. Participating in the competition also provides a powerful impetus for Thai children to develop in the right direction."

และครูที่ปรึกษาอีกท่านที่พานักเรียนมาจากโรงเรียนเมืองพัทยา 1 (มัธยมสาธิตพัทยา) จ.ชลบุรี ครูกิตติพงษ์ พัตตาสิงห์ ได้ยืนยันอีกเสียงถึงประโยชน์ของการเข้าร่วมแข่งขัน Innovedex ว่า

"It's fair to say that the robotics skills the children learned from the Innovedex competition were new and challenging, something they hadn't learned from any other robotics competition. While his basic skill was coding, this competition showed him how his coding skills could be applied to a variety of applications, such as using a camera to detect the color and shape of objects, and then using a swipe tool to sort objects in the correct direction. This practice combined robotics skills, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills."