YOGYAKARTA - Universitas Gadjah Mada is the general champion of the Flying Robot Contest (KRTI) 2015 held in Gading, Playen, Gunungkidul regency, from 17-20 September. As many as 71 participants from 29 universities joined the event. The UGM team won in two categories and received awards in three divisions that are competed: fixed wing, racing jet, and vertical take off and landing.
UGM’s Gama Force II team came first in mapping and monitoring for Fixed Wing division, also special award for idea and best design in this division. The Horse Fly team of UGM has the best design in the Racing Jet category while the Gadjah Mada Fighting Copter-1 has the special award in best system in the vertical take off and landing division.
The winner for light weight in Racing Jet division is Universitas Andalas, followed by Politeknik Elektronika Negeri Surabaya. The heavy weight division is won by Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember while water based fire extinguisher division in vertical take off and landing is won by Universitas Telkom, followed by STMIK Teknokrat and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember. For non-water based fire extinguisher, the Garuda team from Universitas Indonesia came first, followed by Politeknik Elektronika Negeri Surabaya and Universitas Telkom.
Dr. Djoko Sarjadi, member of panel of juries, said the KRTI team produced robots that are ready for application. One of the unmanned aerial vehicles can even produce good quality map photos. “I appreciated participants that have never been given a lesson in plane production, but they can already make one,” he said, hoping that in the next years many of the students’ works can be applied. He also supports research-based start up companies.
Vice-Rector for Research and Community Service, Prof. Dr. Suratman, M.Sc., revealed that to follow this up, his office would establish Avionics Research Centre as avionics and maritime technologies are one strategic technology that needs to be developed in Indonesia as an archipelagic country.