Sunway College JB IT Students Bag Silver Awards at DIGITEX 2026 With Innovative AI-Powered Solutions

Two talented teams from Sunway College Johor Bahru's Diploma in Information Technology programme proudly showcased their creativity and technical capabilities at the Digital Innovation & Technology Exhibition (DIGITEX) 2026, held on 15 June 2026 at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).

DIGITEX 2026 provides a platform for students to present innovative digital solutions and technology-driven projects that address real-world challenges. This year, the college was represented by two teams, Vtech and Gaia, who competed alongside other innovative projects and successfully earned Silver Awards each, for their respective projects.

Guided by senior lecturer Mr Wilson Low, the students showcased two Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered web-based solutions, developed as part of their final-year projects to address everyday challenges through practical and user-friendly solutions.

Team Vtech, comprising Tan Hong Kai, Choo Chang Fa, Keshawn Tai Jun Han and Andy Novianto, presented their project titled “Foody”, designed to reduce household food waste. Using an AI ingredient scanner, the application identifies ingredients available in a user's refrigerator and recommends recipes based on what is available, particularly items nearing expiry. It also includes features such as Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) tracking and Nutrition Health Scores to encourage healthier eating habits.

"The idea came from our own experience, where we would often buy more groceries than needed, leaving ingredients unused in the fridge. We wanted to create an app that helps people make better use of the ingredients they already have instead of letting them go to waste," the team shared the inspiration behind the project.

Meanwhile Team Gaia, comprising Brian Lai Zhen Liang, Tan Kai Zhe and Zorro Lim Yi Hong, introduced “BinWise”, an application that promotes responsible waste disposal. Through its AI scan & identify feature, users can scan an item to learn the correct disposal method, while educational quizzes, reward points and community features encourage recycling through a fun and engaging interface.

"We realised many people throw recyclable items into the general waste bin simply because it's more convenient. We wanted to make recycling feel less like a chore by rewarding users with small incentives while encouraging better recycling habits," shared Team Gaia.

Developing both projects came with its challenges, particularly in training the AI models. The students spent countless hours preparing datasets and training the systems to accurately recognise images such as food ingredients and recyclable materials. Beyond the competition itself, the experience also allowed them to learn from fellow participants and gain new insights into innovation, design and presentation.

Kudos to team Vtech and Gaia for their commendable achievements. Their win proves that we have capable young innovators among us, we look forward to seeing them continue developing innovative solutions that create a positive impact on society.