Otis and Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology Announce Winners of STEM Robotic Competition

Otis volunteer mentors and students from the Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology proposed innovative solutions to tackle urban mobility issues.

Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS), the world’s leading company for elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation, and service, announced the winners of a robotics competition held in partnership with The Asia Foundation (TAF) and CADT (Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology), a top institute that provides higher education, professional training, Research & Development, and innovation for digital technology.

Students supported by the experts from the academy’s digital makerspace and Otis volunteer mentors from across Southeast Asia developed innovative science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) solutions under the theme of Urban Mobility. A total of 53 students from the Telecoms and Networking and Computer Science faculties took part in the challenge, where they explored timely urban issues, including traffic congestion, road safety, healthcare access, and environmental cleanliness.

“We truly appreciate this four-month program which enabled our students to improve their digital skills and problem-solving abilities under the theme of Urban Mobility. This contest encouraged our students to come up with creative and innovative ideas to solve pressing urban issues and also provided an opportunity for STEM technology to be embedded into our school curriculum,” said H.E HEAN Samboeun, Vice President of CADT.

“I am very proud of the students and our Otis mentors who have worked together over the past four months to put together these creative concepts,” said Manivannan, K., Managing Director of Vietnam and Malaysia, Otis . “Through the live demonstrations and working model prototypes, the students showcased how their STEM solutions would operate in real life and bring benefits to the communities they live in.”

This program is part of Otis’ Commitment to Change, amplifying its ongoing commitment to STEM and vocational education, by joining with community and business partners to invest in and build a diverse talent pipeline. It is also one of the many ways that Otis is contributing to its 2030 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals of impacting 15,000 students globally through STEM-focused programming and dedicating 500,000 colleague volunteer hours in support of vibrant communities, STEM education and social equity efforts.

The winners of the challenge are:

First Place: First Aid Robot

The winning student team conceived the ‘First aid robot’ – a robotic machine that can provide around-the-clock health care to the public. Powered by a smart monitor and solar energy, the robot dispenses first aid kits on demand so that those in need can receive immediate medical attention. It can also make public announcements to raise awareness in communities on healthcare issues.

Second Place: Smart Dashcam

Students developed a product called ‘iDash,’ a portable dashcam that mounts to motorcycle helmets. In the event of a crash or accident, an alert is immediately sent via a mobile app to alert the rider’s emergency contacts. It also features a video recording function to ensure evidence is consolidated centrally for follow-ups and investigations.

Third Place: Smart Parking Lot

One of the key challenges drivers face across cities in Cambodia is finding available parking lots with charging stations. Despite a 70 percent increase in usage of electric motorbikes, as shown by statistics from the United Nations Development Programme, many carparks do not provide charging stations for electric vehicles. To overcome this challenge, the students proposed a solution leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT) to detect available parking spaces for drivers while simultaneously charging their vehicles for greener and smarter energy usage.

The final contest and award ceremony was opened by H.E HEAN Samboeun, Vice-President of CADT, welcomed by Mr. Manivannan, K., Managing Director of Malaysia and Vietnam, Otis, and closed by H.E Dr. SENG Sopheap, President of CADT, in the presence of representatives from all three organizations.

“I would like to extend my appreciation to the volunteer mentors from Otis and partners from The Asia Foundation who imparted their professional expertise and valuable project management and communication skills to our students,” shared H.E Dr. SENG Sopheap, President of CADT. “We look forward to more opportunities where we can co-create with our industry partners to advance the entrepreneurial ambitions of our students in CADT.”

About Otis

Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation and servicing of elevators and escalators, we move 2 billion people a day and maintain more than 2.1 million customer units worldwide – the industry's largest Service portfolio. You’ll find us in the world's most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is ~68,000 people strong, including 41,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @OtisElevatorCo.