UGM Students never stop innovating. This time they managed to create an interactive flood early warning system and develop smart robots to monitor forest fires.
Interactive Flood Early Warning System
Students of the Faculty of Engineering have made a technological innovation by creating an interactive flood early warning system (EWS). The development of this system aims to minimize the impact of flooding.
Asri Nur Latifah, along with Suryo Prakoso Putra, Zufar Amanulah M, Toga Ardian S, and Shalahuddin Al-Ayubi, developed the EWS based on Internet of Things (IOT). The IOT system connects the EWS with an existing application on the smartphone called iFeel.
“This application is connected to EWS equipment placed in flood prone areas. Then, the equipment will transmit information in real time regarding the condition of the water levels at several points that are equipped with iFlee,” Suryo said at UGM, Tuesday (14/6).
If the water level reaches a certain point on the EWS equipment , it will transmit information to people in the form of early warning on the installed application. Information will be sent in the form of text message and notifications on the application.
The equipment developed includes hardware consisting of a sensor, microcontroller, and GSM module. To meet its energy needs, it uses solar panels that will absorb energy and save it in its power bank.
“A trial of the iFlee application will be implemented in Jakarta as a pilot project since the city is prone to floods,” he said.
The iFlee application has supporting features that provide tracking and mapping as main media for disaster response. As a communication bridge, the iFlee application works with a real time server that is integrated with BMKG and BNPB, so that the flow of information becomes faster and is valid. This application also has a detailed menu that is useful to calculate the losses caused by the floods.
“This application not only detects the water level but also can be used to detect the height of the lahars,” he explained.
Smart Robot to Monitor Fires
Another innovation was also developed by a group of students at the Faculty of Engineering, namely the Automated Mobile Robot for Monitoring and Prevent Forest Fire Disaster also known as the Amro Monster. This is an intelligent robot prototype to prevent and monitor (in real time) forest fires. The robot has been created by Muhammad Kemal Jayadi, Bayu Perwito Aji, Argha Jiwa Kusuma, Ina Eprilia, and Muhammad Iqbal Ardiansyah.
The Amro Monster is designed to run on a variety of terrain and monitor large-scale areas. The robot is radio controlled using a computer or laptop. It is equipped with a temperature sensor, pressure sensor, humidity sensor, and a gas concentration sensor, as well as a hand manipulator. The sensors are used to transmit information to the control center about the physical conditions in the environment around the robot.
“If there is any unwanted substance and it is obstructing the path of the robot’s expedition, it can be moved by the hand manipulator,” Kemal said.
This machine could be used to help humans in forest fire monitoring activities. They also hope that forest fires can be minimized by using the automatic robot and that no one is injured as a result of them.