(From left) Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) talent development director Nik Naharudin Mohd, the Education Ministry’s sports, co-curricular and arts division assistant director Dr Mohd Azly Zakaria, SMK All Saints teacher Jalaluddin Ismail, Team XO_LEIUNE, Shell Malaysia legal head Siew-Ching Chua, Shell Malaysia corporate relations general manager Cindy Lopez and SMK All Saints teacher Laila Azwa Taulani.
WHEN you walk out of your house in a rush, how often do you forget to turn off your lights or unplug unused appliances?
For many, this is a small but persistent problem – one that inflates electricity bills and contributes to energy wastage.
Now, picture a world where your household appliances automatically power down the moment you leave the house, all with the help of a single device.
This is the future envisioned by Team XO_LEIUNE, a group of three innovative students who clinched the top prize at the Shell NXplorers Malaysia 2024 national championship held last week on Dec 11.
Their groundbreaking invention, EcoSwitch 2.0, aims to set a new standard for energy efficiency and sustainability.
Building from the success of EcoSwitch in last year’s competition, XO_LEIUNE, made up of Nathylee Faye Jaikol Udar, Nichelle Essabelle James and Addent Aylwin Tan, developed EcoSwitch 2.0 as a kill-switch for household appliances, using smart sensors and a mobile app to detect occupancy and manage energy use.
The device not only offers real-time updates on power consumption but also enables voice-controlled appliance management.
Their idea stood out among a sea of impressive innovations, earning them praise for its practicality and potential to create a greener future.
TEAM XO_LEIUNE presenting their invention during the Shell NXplorers2024 national competition.
Turning challenges into triumphs
The journey to success was anything but easy for the trio, as they worked tirelessly to refine their innovation.
“After the state finals, we worked closely with our teachers, Dimson Gansoi and Laila Azwa Taulani, to improve our innovation and sharpen our public speaking skills,” said the team.
“We also spent extra hours after school refining our project, conducting more research and testing it repeatedly to make sure everything worked perfectly. These efforts made us feel more ready and confident for the grand finale.”
The competition tested each student’s resilience as they faced unique challenges in their journey to becoming champions.
“The most challenging part of the journey for me was to balance schoolwork, carrying my duties as a prefect and working on this project.
“It was definitely overwhelming, but I managed by breaking tasks into smaller steps and focusing on what mattered most,” said team leader Nathylee.
Nichelle added, “The biggest challenge was figuring out the tricky coding and designing the prototype. The code had a lot of details, and we had to find the right balance between how the prototype looked and how it worked. We overcame this by testing, making changes and staying focused.”
Meanwhile, Addent shared that the main challenge he faced was time management.
“It was hard balancing studying for my final year exams and preparing for the competition at the same time. It was challenging but I managed to handle it with the support of my parents and teachers,” he said.
Aiming for a greener tomorrow
For Team XO_LEIUNE, the competition wasn’t just about winning – it was a transformative experience that set the stage for a future where innovation meets sustainability.
Team XO_LEIUNE’s EcoSwitch 2.0 invention.
Shell NXplorers is a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competition by Shell that challenges students to design and develop innovative solutions to real-world problems in the interconnected realms of food, water and energy.
Through the programme, the students honed their research, problem-solving and public speaking skills while tackling real-world issues.
“The programme taught us to identify the problems we face in our daily lives. We noticed that high electric bills and forgetting to turn off electrical appliances is a common issue for many of us,” the team shared.
“After doing more research, we found that this is also a widespread problem in our community.
“Our goal was to create a simple solution with a big impact. We believe that EcoSwitch 2.0 will help to create a better future for everyone.”
The programme also left a lasting impact on the students, shaping their perspectives as young innovators.
“One of the main lessons I’ve learnt is how important teamwork and communication are.
“I realised that listening to others and working together makes solving problems easier and leads to better ideas,” Nathylee reflected.
Nichelle echoed this sentiment stating, “I learnt that mistakes can happen, and that’s okay.
“What matters is working together as a team to fix them and move forward.
“By working together, we were able to grow stronger and achieve more than we could alone.”
For Addent, the programme was a reminder of the power of critical thinking.
“Through this programme, I realised that we are capable of becoming change agents.
“To chase our preferred future, we need to be able to analyse problems critically before solving them, which is why we were encouraged to use STEM knowledge to solve problems,” he said.
“By using the NXthinking tools introduced in the programme, we were able to brainstorm ideas to tackle real-world issues faced in our communities.”
The team added that the experience in the Shell NXplorers programme gave them the tools to succeed and ignited a passion for innovation that they hope will inspire others.
Inspiring the next generation
With EcoSwitch 2.0 paving the way, Team XO_LEIUNE’s journey proves that when equipped with the right tools and support, young minds can become changemakers in an ever-evolving world.
Shell NXplorers Malaysia 2024 saw six schools, with two finalists from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak participating in national finals after emerging as state winners and runners-up at the state- level competitions.
The finalist schools were SMK Pekan Telipok and SMK All Saints from Sabah, SMK Bintulu and SMK Baru Bintulu from Sarawak and SMK Bandar Puncak Jalil and SMK Aminuddin Baki from Peninsular Malaysia.
The panel of jury comprised the Education Ministry’s (MOE) sports, co-curricular and arts division assistant director Dr Mohd Azly Zakaria, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) talent development director Nik Naharudin Mohd and Shell Malaysia legal head Siew-Ching Chua.
“I’m truly impressed to witness the students in the Shell NXplorers programme taking on obstacles with determination, and demonstrating resilience to overcome them, while leveraging innovation in designing solutions that will potentially address the major global challenges the world faces today,” said Chua.
“Their courage to challenge the norm and think critically about a sustainable future show that our youth are key towards shaping our future.”
With MOE’s support, Shell NXplorers Malaysia 2024 worked with over 1,000 secondary school students from 26 schools across the country, providing students with the opportunity to gain hands-on STEM learning, with a focus on technology.
For more information on Shell NXplorers Malaysia, visit www.shell.com.my/sustainability/communities/shell-stem-programme.
