[Who Inspires Us] From Robotics to Leadership: Abbirami’s Journey of Curiosity and Impact

CHUMBAKA

July 18, 2025
5-7 Min Read

“Curiosity is very important. It helps you find your passion even if the journey is a bit rocky.”

Originally hailing from Malacca, 3rd year APU student Abbirami A/P Aravindan Kalisri Logeswara is driven by the motto “just do it.” This belief, alongside an immensely supportive mother, has led her to successfully pursue a passion in technology and robotics since her primary school days.

Throughout high school, Abbi frequently participated in competitions like the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) where she represented Malaysia in Vietnam after winning the merit award nationally. Through experiences like this, she was able to broaden her perspective on the impact of technology on the real world.

When Abbi joined the Digital Ninja Programme in 2018, she was overjoyed to meet like-minded budding innovators in an environment that was supportive and inclusive of her journey into tech. In her team, she collaborated on a modified safety vest for labourers that monitored temperature, humidity and had a built-in water pack for ease of hydration. Abbi and her team, of which she was the youngest, won 1st-Runner Up due to this innovation. Abbi also participated in the Kuala Lumpur Engineering Science Fair (KLESF) where she presented projects that targeted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ultimately winning her silver and bronze.

After high school, Abbi entered Asia Pacific University (APU) in KL to enjoy the freedom of finally learning the things she wanted to, like Artificial Intelligence (AI). She is particularly interested in the application of AI on hardware and how else AI can be used to support industry processes. While Abbi also gained the necessary exposure to other core STEM topics & AI hackathons, she made sure to also brush up on her networking skills with students from other disciplines in her thirst for widening her worldview.

Abbi notes that while exploring her interests in STEM and participating in hackathons were key aspects of her academic journey, an equally meaningful part of her experience came from being actively involved in student life. She was elected to APU’s Student Representative Council (SRC), where she served as treasurer. This role allowed her to develop leadership, communication, and financial management skills. As part of the SRC, Abbi played a central role in planning and organising large-scale campus events designed to engage and unite the diverse student body. Among these were APU’s International Cultural Night, a vibrant celebration of global traditions and heritage that fostered cross-cultural appreciation, and APU’s Sports Carnival, a dynamic event promoting health, teamwork, and school spirit. Through these initiatives, Abbi not only helped enhance the student experience but also grew more confident in her ability to lead, collaborate with peers from various backgrounds, and contribute meaningfully to the campus community.

Throughout her innovation journey, Abbi had come across Chumbaka but kept missing out on opportunities to be involved with any of Chumbaka’s programmes. It was during her time in Digital Ninja that she met Chong Zhi Xiong, or more commonly referred to by students as Sir Chong, Chumbaka’s very own Chief Learning Officer. She shared that it was a difficult and meaningful question prompted by Sir Chong that left a significant impression on her team and further piqued her interest and determination in involving herself with Chumbaka in whatever way she could.

Fast forward to 2023, through her Digital Ninja network, she was invited to apply as a Mentor for the Sime Darby Young Innovators Challenge National Championship. This 5-Day camp challenged Abbi to mentor a team at the height of their competition journey as they vied for the chance of being one of the Top 3 Innovation Grant, where they’ll see their prototypes come to life in the community of their choice.

Abbi recently finished her 2nd year at APU where she is pursuing a Computer Science degree with a specialization in AI. Currently, she is interning at Continental where she works as a data transformation and automation intern.

Even with all her successes, Abbi shares that she is only human. She has her moments of doubts and insecurity but she reminds herself that her ever-persistent passion for learning, technology & connection can give her the ability to leave a positive impact on society. Abbi shares that you should aspire to always stay curious, let your passion outweigh your doubts and focus on what you can do rather than what you cannot.

Notes from the Editor
Abbi is part of our Young Innovators Challenge.
You may check out her profile here on LinkedIn.