KUALA LUMPUR, 24 October 2025 — The final session of the Great Innovation Challenge (GIC) 2025 Workshop & Kick-Off, organised by the Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIRO), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), concluded with an insightful module on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration in Plastic Recycling Machines.
Led by Dr. Noor Jannah from UTM, the session explored how AI-driven subsystems can transform traditional plastic recycling machines into smart, efficient, and sustainable solutions — aligning perfectly with the GIC 2025 theme, “Reengineering Plastic for Profit.”
The workshop, held in collaboration with Great Eastern Takaful Berhad (GETB) and IEEE Kuala Lumpur Subsection gathered Malaysia’s most promising student innovators to explore the role of technology in advancing sustainability.
💡 AI for Smarter, Sustainable Recycling
Dr. Jannah introduced participants to practical AI applications in recycling, such as computer vision for plastic type recognition, predictive maintenance, and energy-efficient process optimisation.
Participants also discussed common industry challenges, including manual sorting errors, inconsistent molding quality, and high energy usage — identifying how lightweight AI systems can address these issues effectively.
Among the AI features highlighted were:
🧩 Plastic Type Recognition using CNN, MobileNet & EfficientNet
⚙️ Automated Sorting & Feeding via YOLOv8 / Faster-RCNN
🔧 Smart Shredding Control through reinforcement learning
🔍 Defect Detection & Quality Inspection with GAN and Autoencoder models
🔋 Energy Management using AI-driven optimisation for sustainable operation
“AI should simplify, not complicate. The goal is to create community-scale machines that are affordable, energy-efficient, and reliable,”
— Dr. Noor Jannah, Trainer (UTM).
🤝 Interactive Learning & Collaborative Ideas
Throughout the session, students engaged in:
– A pre-survey to gauge AI familiarity (majority having experience in machine learning).
– Group brainstorming to design one AI subsystem for their proposed recycling machine.
– Case discussions on predictive maintenance and sensor-based process control.
– Q&A session on plastic classification algorithms and dataset development.
– These activities encouraged participants to think critically about how sustainability, engineering, and automation intersect in real-world innovation.
🎤 Closing Remarks by Mr. Zaenal Abidin
In his closing address, Mr. Zaenal Abidin of CAIRO commended participants for their creativity and collaboration over the two-day programme.
He emphasised that the workshop had achieved its mission of nurturing student innovators in digital prototyping, sustainable design, and AI integration.
Participants were reminded to update and re-upload their proposals with new AI elements before the competition’s submission deadline in November 2025.
The session concluded with a group photo session filled with smiles, marking the end of a productive and inspiring two-day journey toward innovation and sustainability.
🌍 About the Great Innovation Challenge (GIC) 2025
The Great Innovation Challenge 2025, sponsored by Great Eastern Takaful Berhad, is a two-year national innovation competition challenging university and college students to redesign small-scale plastic recycling machines into smarter, portable, and environmentally sustainable systems.
The initiative promotes engineering innovation, ESG values, and hands-on learning, with a total prize pool of RM77,000 in awards and prototype development grants.
📸 Stay tuned for more updates and finalist announcements on CAIRO UTM’s social media channels!
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🌐 research.utm.my/cairo
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