UNAIR NEWS – Students from Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) continue to make remarkable achievements through their innovative ideas. This time, the five-member ARTERRA UNAIR team, consisting of Eka Rachma Aprilidanti (Vocational Faculty), Al A’raafat Jaya Putra (Vocational Faculty), Galih Triatmojo (Vocational Faculty), Adela Febry Widiana (Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences), and Abdurrahman Al Faiz A. A. (Vocational Faculty), achieved multiple awards at Indonesia’s prestigious National Essay Competition 3 in 2025.
The competition, organized by the Setara Prisma Nusantara Institute (Nusantara Muda) under the theme “Collaboration of Innovation, Ideas, and Creativity of Youth for Golden Indonesia,” was held from May 17–18, 2025, at Dhyana Putra University, Bali, Indonesia. ARTERRA UNAIR, developing three innovative technologies, secured Gold Medal, Silver Medal, Bronze Medal, Best Presentation, 1st Place, Favorite Video, Favorite Paper, and two Favorite Poster awards, highlighting their outstanding creativity and academic excellence.
The first innovation, an AI and Machine Learning-based Autonomous Robot, was designed not only to detect illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing but also to collect marine debris. Eka Rachma Aprilidanti, the team leader, explained that the robot is solar-powered, cost-effective, and equipped with real-time monitoring capabilities, ensuring rapid, accurate, and reliable detection of both IUU fishing activities and ocean pollution caused by plastic waste. “This innovation aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 12, and 14, promoting sustainable marine ecosystems, supporting coastal community economies, and reducing environmental impact,” she stated.
The second innovation is a pollutant detection device for residential areas near industrial zones. Eka noted that air pollution remains a growing concern in Indonesia, where residential areas close to industrial zones face high levels of pollutants. Indonesia ranks 26th globally for poor air quality, with average PM2.5 concentrations reaching 30.5 µg/m³, far exceeding the World Health Organization safety standards. “Equipped with IoT sensors and AI technology, this device monitors and analyzes air quality in real-time, raising public awareness of respiratory health while offering a cost-effective and user-friendly solution to industrial area pollution,” Eka explained.
The third innovation, an IoT-based Irrigation System, addresses challenges throughout Indonesia’s agricultural sector. Galih Triatmojo emphasized that agriculture, a vital sector of Indonesia’s natural resources, benefits from automated irrigation that allows farmers to manage water distribution remotely. “This IoT irrigation system enhances agricultural technology, enabling farmers to monitor and operate irrigation processes from home, thereby improving efficiency, productivity, and supporting the SDGs,” Galih said.
Through these innovations, ARTERRA UNAIR demonstrates that Indonesian students are capable of developing technology-driven solutions addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges, reinforcing UNAIR’s commitment to fostering research, innovation, and community impact.
