Record turnout for the 2026 Warman Design and Build Competition
Group photo of the student participants during the competition.
The university hosted the annual Warman Design and Build Competition, marking a milestone year with its largest student turnout to date: 175 students participated!
Jointly organised by the student-led Monash University Malaysia Robotics Club (RoboClub) and teaching staff from the MMA2001 Design Method unit, the four-day, four-night engineering challenge brought together students from different engineering disciplines. RoboClub supported the competition through behind-the-scenes coordination, administration, logistics and participant safety.
Working in teams, students were challenged to design, manufacture and program a fully autonomous robotic system from scratch. Each robot had to complete a series of complex tasks on a designated track without manual control, requiring students to integrate mechanical design, sensor-driven software, problem-solving and strategic testing.
One of the autonomous robotic systems during the competition.
Throughout the week, The Rock and the Exhibition Foyer were transformed into active testing and competition spaces. Students worked through rounds of calibration, troubleshooting, design refinement and trackside testing to improve their robots' performance. With limited time to bring their ideas to life, participants had to make quick decisions, adapt to unexpected issues and balance creativity with practical engineering solutions.
Team SWAR44 emerged as the winner of the 2026 competition. The team consisted of Asim Taha, Chong Vei Sin, Elan Adrriele Shedric, Hing Wen Han, Liong Yi Xian, and Sureshkumar Varshan.
Team SWAR43 secured first runner-up. The team includes Beh Josiah Cheng Poh, Boo Elson, Evan Wilshire, Handersen Kurniawan Ng and Yong Suan Kang. Teams SWAR32 and SWAR72 shared second runner-up honours. SWAR32 consisted of Gayatri Vaenesa, Lee Brian Hao Ming, Tom Jason Joel, Quek Minxuan, and Wong Wei Jing. SWAR72 consisted of Lee Darren Xiu Yi, Xu Zhixing, Koh Zheng Khai, Malik Faisal Amirah Kamalia, and Wijaya Farrel Benedict.
Student teams showing their competition devices.
This year's record participation highlighted students' strong enthusiasm for practical engineering experiences. By bringing together students from different backgrounds, the competition provided a valuable platform for participants to experience the demands of real-world engineering design.
The achievements of this year's participants are expected to inspire more students to take on engineering challenges, explore robotics and automation, and develop the skills needed to help shape the future of engineering.