Sri Lanka Arduino Challenge 2025 - Final Competition and Exhibition
August 7, 2025 · 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM @ Maradana, SLTC Trace Expert City Premises
Description
The Sri Lanka Arduino Challenge 2025 was a flagship innovation-focused competition organized by the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES) Student Branch Chapter of Sri Lanka Technological Campus (SLTC) in collaboration with Challenge Sphere 2025 – IEEE Sri Lanka Section. This year’s event successfully combined virtual knowledge-sharing sessions with an in-person final competition and exhibition, fostering a platform for university students to develop creative, socially impactful embedded system solutions. The competition was held under the inspiring theme: “Assisting People with a Disability”,challenging participants to design and build innovative Arduino-based products that could make a tangible difference in improving accessibility, mobility, and independence for people with disabilities. The journey to the grand finale began with a Kick-off Webinar followed by two technical workshops, all conducted online via the Zoom platform. These sessions provided contestants with essential knowledge in Arduino programming, embedded system design, project planning, and prototyping skills. Participants had the opportunity to engage with mentors, clarify technical doubts, and refine their initial concepts. The workshops also emphasized design thinking, problem-solving approaches, and the integration of assistive technology principles into real-world solutions. The Final Competition and Exhibition of the Sri Lanka Arduino Challenge 2025 was held on 7th August 2025 at the SLTC Trace City Premises. This marked the first in-person phase of the competition after the online knowledge sessions. The event drew participation from eight talented teams representing several State and Non-State universities, all showcasing innovations aimed at enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities. The day began with the warm welcome by the moderators from the SLTC Media Unit, who extended greetings to all participants, judges, and guests. Following this, the formal initiation of the event took place with the lighting of the traditional oil lamp, symbolizing the start of a new chapter in creativity and collaboration. Mr. Chathila Walgama, Co-Chair of Sri Lanka Arduino Challenge 2025, then officially welcomed the attendees, highlighting the importance of innovation in addressing pressing social issues. The moderators further provided a creative overview of the day’s agenda and clarified the rules and requirements for the participating teams. The Project Evaluation was the most crucial and exciting segment of the day. Each team presented its Arduino-based prototype, explained its design concept, demonstrated functionality, and discussed the real-world applicability of their solutions. Two members of the judging panel evaluated each project during the initial review phase, focusing on aspects such as innovation, technical implementation, user impact, scalability, and presentation quality. The judges not only assessed the work but also engaged with the participants, offering constructive feedback on improving product designs for future market demands. The final round brought together eight teams, each bringing unique perspectives and ideas to the competition. The diversity in backgrounds and institutional representation ensured a rich exchange of ideas and fostered healthy competition. The competition was honored by the presence of a distinguished four-member judging panel, each with extensive expertise in engineering, electronics, and innovation: Dr. Nicoloy Gurusinghe – Department Head & Senior Lecturer, Electrical Engineering, Sri Lanka Technological Campus Mr. Malitha Dilshan – Research Assistant, Electronic Design and Innovation Center, Department of Physics and Electronics, University of Kelaniya Ms. Nethmini Gunawardhana – Visiting Lecturer in Electronics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya; Demonstrator, Department of Physics & Electronics, University of Kelaniya; Former Firmware Engineer at Epic Technologies Eng. (Mrs.) Dulashi Pabasara Karunakalage Dabare – Lecturer (Probationary), MPhil in Nuclear Science (Reading, UoC, SL), MSc. Eng in Electrical Engineering (UoM, SL), BSc. Eng (Hons) Their expertise and constructive critiques provided participants with invaluable guidance for future improvements. After the evaluation process, the results were announced to much excitement: Winner: Team Voltron – University of Sri Jayewardenepura 1st Runner-up: SLIIT Health Guard – Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology 2nd Runner-up: We Make IT – University of Sri Jayewardenepura All winners received cash prizes and certificates of achievement, recognizing their dedication and innovation. Every participating team was awarded a certificate to acknowledge their effort and contribution to the competition’s spirit of innovation. As a token of appreciation, the organizing committee presented “Tokens of Appreciation” to the judges for their invaluable support and commitment. Following the award ceremony, Dr. Nicoloy Gurusinghe delivered an inspiring guest speech, emphasizing the role of engineering and innovation in shaping a more inclusive future for individuals with disabilities. The event concluded with a Vote of Thanks delivered by Ms. Malshani Dissanayaka, Project Secretary, who expressed heartfelt gratitude to all participants, judges, sponsors, and the organizing team. She acknowledged the teamwork and dedication that made the event a resounding success.
Agenda
2.00 PM - 2.35 PM Initiation of the Event 2.35 PM - 2.45 PM Oil Lamp 2.45 PM – 2.55 PM Welcome Speech 2.55 PM – 3.05 PM Introductions 3.05 PM – 4.25 PM Project Evaluation 4.25 PM – 4.30 PM Guest Speech 4.35 PM - 5.10 PM Prize Giving 5.10 PM - 5.20 PM Token of Appreciation 5.20 PM - 5.30 PM Vote of Thanks