PUO Students Invent Fuel Cap Opener For Individuals With Limited Hand Grip

IPOH, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- Politeknik Ungku Omar (PUO) has developed an innovative 'Fuel Cap Opener for People with Limited Hand Grip' to assist individuals with restricted hand strength.

PUO director Dr Salmi Che Meh said the invention proves the capability of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students to create practical solutions that benefit the community.

She said four Diploma in Mechanical Engineering students - Nur Adriana Iman Mohd Harman, Siti Zubaidah Abdullah, R. Chanjey, and R.M. Sutharsanan - developed the product under the guidance of Dr Nur Raihana Sukri.

"This project won the Mechanical Engineering Diploma Category and the Innovation Category at MEDSPEC JKM 2026, as well as the Technical Category at the PUO Applied Project Excellence Exhibition (APEX) 2026.

"The project also produced two research papers and one intellectual property in the form of a copyright," she said in a statement.

To ensure the product benefits the community, the innovation was handed over to the Taiping Hospital Occupational Therapy Unit.

Salmi said the collaboration with the hospital allows students to apply their engineering knowledge to produce products with the potential to improve the quality of life and independence of those in need.

Meanwhile, Taiping Hospital Occupational Therapy Unit head Zuraidah Rambli said the collaboration could help increase the independence of individuals with limited hand grip.

"The product will be used in therapy sessions, while some will be given directly to patients in need to make their daily activities easier," she said.

-- BERNAMA