Written by Nuratiqah Imani binti Noordin
Edited by Ts. ChM. Dr. Nor Suriani Sani
The Innovation and Design Exhibition 2026 (IDEX ’26) successfully concluded on 18 January 2026 at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FKM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Organized by the Mechanical Engineering Students Association (MESA), the exhibition marked an important academic milestone for fourth-year Mechanical Engineering students enrolled in SEMM4533 – System Design, allowing them to turn classroom knowledge into practical engineering solutions.
This year’s exhibition focused on five key themes: Plastic Pollution, Food Waste, Sustainable Living, Disaster Relief, and Differently Abled Solutions. Participating teams showcased innovative systems designed to address real-world societal and environmental challenges while incorporating sustainability, functionality, and social responsibility.
The projects reflected the students’ creativity, technical understanding, and ability to apply engineering design principles in meaningful ways. A panel of 16 judges comprising academic staff and industry representatives evaluated the projects based on technical merit, practicality, sustainability, and potential impact. The exhibition also received strong support from the Faculty’s leadership, with both Deputy Deans of FKM present. During the closing ceremony, Team C4, Clean Stream, was crowned the overall champion, followed by Team H4, Pill Dispenser Gocoh Gang, in second place and Team C5, Hydro Boi Nic, in third.
Beyond the competition, IDEX ’26 served as a valuable platform for strengthening students’ technical competencies, teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking. The exhibition demonstrated FKM’s continued commitment to innovation-based learning and to developing future engineers capable of creating practical, sustainable, and socially responsible solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.
