In the year of 2011, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), is hosting the most prestigious robotics event in the homeland. The National Robot Contest (KRN) 2011, organized by the Directorate of Research and Community Service, Directorate General of Higher Education (DP2M Dikti) in cooperation with UGM aims to foster students' creativity, applying science and technology in the real world, and increasing the sensitivity of Indonesian students in robotics development.
The robot contests were already held several times before. The first Indonesian Robot Contest (KRI) was held in 1993 and an additional KRCI in 2003. UGM had been entrusted to host the Regional Level Robot Contest in 2008 and the National Robot Contest in 2009.
According to Rendy Adrian Diningrat, Decoration and Public Relations Section of the KRN, the National Robot Contest 2011 will be held on 11 and 12 June 2011. As in previous years, the NPC this year will hold three contests, namely, the Indonesian Robot Contest (KRI) 2011, Indonesia Smart Robot Contest (KRCI) 2011, and Indonesia Art Robot Contest (KRSI) 2011. The theme raised in the KRSI this year complies with the original art of Javanese culture and style of Yogyakarta dance movement. "In the 2011 KRSI, the robot must be able to dance to the rhythm that has been determined. The theme raised in the KRSI this year is “Klono Mask Dance Robot," Rendy said.
Meanwhile, the theme of another competition categories is Larungan (KRI 2011), Intelligent Fire Extinguisher Robot (KRCI Wheeled and Legged 2011), and Intelligent Soccer Players Robot (KRCI Battle 2011). National Robot Contest 2011 will also conduct the selection of Indonesian representative in the international level robot contest ABU Robocon in Thailand and RoboCup 2012 in Mexico.
Rendy mentioned that participants of the National Robot Contest 2011 are the winners of regional contests. Regional Robot Contest I held from 21 to 22 May 2011 in Batam Polytechnic State; Regional II, 14-15 May 2011, at ITT Bandung; Regional III, 28-29 May 2011, at the State University of Yogyakarta, Regional IV, 7-8 May 2011, at PENS, Surabaya; and Regional V, 30 April-1 May 2011 in Untad, Palu.
For the selection from each region 24 teams will be selected to compete in the KRI, KRCI Wheeled, KRCI Legged, and KRCI Battle and 16 teams for the KRSI category. Thus, a total of 112 teams will compete in the contest this time. "This event is also planned to be enlivened by a series of robotics exhibition. We will concentrate everything at Graha Sabha Pramana of UGM," Rendy added.