KOTA SAMARAHAN: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) is strengthening its global research footprint through a proposed collaboration with Virginia Tech to establish the UNIMAS-Virginia Tech Bioinspired Embodied AI Laboratory, an initiative aimed at advancing nature-inspired engineering and artificial intelligence research.
Speaking during the plaque signing ceremony for the proposed laboratory at the Faculty of Engineering, UNIMAS on Wednesday, UNIMAS vice chancellor Prof Dr. Ahmad Hata Rasit said the university has allocated about RM200,000 for the initiative, reflecting its commitment to the collaboration.
“We believe it can become a strong platform not only for research, but also for innovation, talent development, and eventually commercialisation of new technologies inspired by nature,” he said.
Ahmad Hata clarified nature has long served as a source of inspiration for scientific and technological breakthroughs, citing examples such as aerodynamics inspired by birds, shock absorption systems modelled after woodpeckers, adhesive technology based on geckos, and thermal building designs inspired by termite mounds.
“In short, we have been copying nature for a very long time.
“Nature has already solved many engineering problems for millions of years. Our role as researchers is to observe, understand, and translate those solutions into technology that can benefit society,” he said.
He added that there remains significant untapped potential in integrating bioinspiration with embodied AI, robotics, advanced sensing, smart materials, and intelligent systems.
Ahmad Hata also expressed hope that the visit by the Virginia Tech delegation would pave the way for greater discussions, idea-sharing, and long-term collaboration between the two institutions.
Meanwhile, Special advisor to the president of Virginia Tech Prof Dr Cyril Clark described the partnership as a distinctive opportunity with strong international potential.
“We feel this has a high potential for creating a programme that is truly distinctive nationally, both here in the United States, and internationally,” he said.
Clarke said the long-term goal is for the UNIMAS-Virginia Tech collaboration to become a globally recognised centre of expertise in bio-inspired engineering, particularly by leveraging Sarawak’s rich biodiversity resources.
“When some scientist anywhere in the world asks the question, where can I find expertise, where can I find a lab that knows all that there is possible to know at this time about bio-inspired engineering, the response would be the UNIMAS-Virginia Tech collaboration centred in Sarawak, Malaysia,” he said.
He added that such ambitions would only be achievable through strong commitment and collaboration between both institutions.
