Student inventions AIR-MACS, Aelius have potential to be commercialised

Rakin (second row centre), flanked by Ekni (on his right) and Mohd Dzul, together with Hasimah (right) and Salmah (left) gesture during the presentation of AIR-MACS.

MIRI: Two projects undertaken by students under Petronas All About Youth (AAY) programme this year would provide cheaper and eco-friendly alternatives to air conditioners and powerbanks if they could be refined and patented.
AIR-MACS, an alternative to air conditioner was invented by 20 students from SM Sains Miri while Aelius, an alternative to powerbank is a project of 20 students from Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang.

Both devices, powered by solar energy, were launched at SM Sains here yesterday by district education officer Dr Hassan Hasbollah who was represented by the district education academic supervisor Rakin Sebastian.
AIR-MACS is a type of cooler that uses solar energy and magnets. Those who cannot afford to buy air conditioners can buy AIR-MACS instead which is cheaper, portable, easy to install, eco and user-friendly. It also comes in various sizes.
Aelius, meanwhile, helps to resolve the problem of insufficient battery faced by a large number of smartphone users.
“Aelius is eco-friendly and is able to charge phones as efficient as commercial powerbanks. It is considerably more convenient than powerbanks due to its ability to recharge using solar energy. Hence, the name ‘Aelius’. It uses a solar panel to get the renewable energy,” said one of the students during the presentation yesterday.
Another benefits of Aelius is the fact that smartphones can be recharged while on the go; when one is on the way to a camping site or just walking as long as there is the sun.
Hassan, meanwhile, commended Petronas for initiating the programme which could enhance the innovation culture among students.
“This competition is relevant to realise the national innovation agenda and to achieve the vision of a developed and high-income nation by 2020,” he said.
Sarawak Petronas AAY coordinator Ekni Raduan also spoke. SM Sains and Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang are among 50 schools in the country taking part in the project this year.
Ten schools from Sarawak comprising four from Miri, Bintulu (4) and Kuching (2) will compete at the state-level AAY 2017 next week in Miri, Bintulu and Lundu. The champion will represent Sarawak at the national-level competition in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 15-17 to vie for the grand prize of RM50,000 to upgrade their existing project.
Each member of the winning team will also receive RM1,000 incash and prizes.
Meanwhile, each member in the second and third places will receive RM800 and RM500 respectively.
AAY, initiated in 2014, is a corporate social investment programme by Petronas to empower youths by providing them with a platform to showcase their ability and creativity.
The principals of Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang and SM Sains, Hasimah Abang Zen and Mohd Dzul Badzli Abdullah respectively and SMS Sains’ senior assistant (curriculum) Salmah Yaacob were among those present at the function yesterday.