Remotely Operated Vehicle League Encourages Innovation and Skills of IPB University Students in the Field of Underwater Technology

Department of Marine Science and Technology (ITK), Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPIK) IPB University held a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) League 'Marine Instrumentation and Robotics Event: Underwater Robotics (ROV) Challenge'. This activity was held at the Aquatic Sport Center, a swimming pool for learning that was just inaugurated by the Rector of IPB University in early 2023.

This competition is a place to explore skills and innovation in ROV development which is part of the final practicum assignment (project-based learning) of the Marine Instrumentation Course. This activity also closed the even semester lectures for the 2022/2023 academic year. 

"Finally, the ROV League can be held again in a normal atmosphere, directly in the swimming pool after three years of temporary vacuum due to the pandemic. So this year is a kind of 'double blessing' for us, besides being held in a normal atmosphere it is also in the IPB University swimming pool itself," said Prof Indra Jaya as the person in charge of the Marine Instrumentation Course when opening the activity.

Participants in the ROV competition league consisted of a number of students divided into five teams. Each team was challenged to design and build an ROV that could perform various tasks in the water. The five teams then raced to the finish line.

Before competing in the ROV League, every week each team builds its ROV design in the Marine Instrumentation and Robotics Workshop, ITK Department. The development process, from design to feasibility testing, is fully documented in the form of a video clip with a maximum duration of three minutes. ROVs that have been made by participants are then tested at the Aquatic Center IPB University to be repaired or refined until they are truly functional.

The interesting thing here is that the ROV League this time was witnessed by students from the Marine Engineering Study Program of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) along with one of the accompanying lecturers, Dr Entin Karjadi. The ROV League provided an opportunity for participants to share knowledge and experience. Participants can learn from innovations and approaches applied by other teams. They can also engage in discussions and question and answer sessions with invited guests.

"Please friends who are not familiar with the techniques for making ROVs can ask these five teams. I congratulate the five competing teams, hopefully the ROV League will be lively and successful," said Prof Indra.

The ROV League is also an opportunity to prepare students for the annual international competition in underwater technology. According to Prof Indra, who is also the supervisor of Marine Instrumentation, Telemetry and Robotics (MITR), every April an international competition of underwater drones (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle/AUV) is held in Singapore. 

"God willing, next April 2024, with the support of IPB University, MITR Club will again participate as in previous years. With the Aquatic Center IPB University, it will certainly strengthen the motivation to give the best," said Prof Indra. (RAT/Rz) (IAAS/ARD)