Monash Malaysia wins Best Design Award at WARMAN 2026
Group photo of the team.
Monash University Malaysia continued its tradition of engineering design by participating in the 2026 WARMAN Design and Build Competition. The competition challenges engineering students to design, build, and test autonomous systems that complete demanding tasks, applying their knowledge of mechanical design, electronics, programming, and system integration. For the 2026 challenge, Mission REEP, the team was tasked with designing and building an automated system to transport rocks from the dump zone to the hopper in the shortest possible time.
The team’s design for the competition.
Representing the university at the international finals were Handersen Kurniawan, Adrriele Shedric Elan, Evan Wilshire Ng, Marcus Aurelius Chan Jia Xian, and Hing Wen Han. The team demonstrated engineering creativity, teamwork, and perseverance while competing against teams from across the region. The competition provided a valuable opportunity to translate classroom knowledge into practice, address real-world design constraints, and develop practical problem-solving skills.
After an unexpected event caused a missed first run, the team bounced back on their second attempt, achieving the fastest complete run of the entire 2026 competition (Video link). They made history by winning the Best Design Award, also known as the National Committee of Engineering Design (NCED) Prize.
The Best Design Award evaluates the entire engineering design process, including concept generation, the application of design tools and analysis, design verification, elegance of the final solution, team management, and lessons learned. The award reflects the depth of engineering thinking, rigour, and teamwork required to develop a successful design.
With this latest achievement, the team has further strengthened Monash University Malaysia’s legacy in the WARMAN Design and Build Competition, completing a remarkable WARMAN trifecta: the Judges Award in 2017, First place in 2024, and the Best Design Award in 2026. This milestone celebrates not only the team’s competitive success but also its commitment to engineering design excellence, continuous improvement, and hands-on learning.
Congratulations to the students and staff involved for their dedication and commitment to representing Monash University Malaysia on this competitive engineering platform.