The 2024 Indonesian Flying Robot Contest (KRTI) officially kicked off at the Faculty of Vocational Studies of UNY Gunungkidul Campus on Friday (13/9), presenting hundreds of participants, visitors, and officials from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. This event is an important point in accelerating the development of flying robot and drone technology in Indonesia.
KRTI 2024 was opened online by Drs. Amich Alhumami, MA, M.Ed, Ph.D, Deputy for Human Development, Society, and Culture. He emphasized that KRTI is an important platform for technological innovation in Indonesia. “Through KRTI, we hope that innovations will be born that are appropriate, have a broad impact, and are able to make Indonesia proud in the international arena,” he explained.
Symbolically, the Head of the Ministry's National Achievement Center, Veronica Irene Herdjiono, M.Si, inaugurated the event by pressing a button and throwing a ball with the robot. Veronica highlighted that KRTI is one of 42 competitions organized by the National Achievement Center, focusing on research, arts, and sports. “KRTI shows our strong commitment to achieving the Golden Indonesia 2045, by preparing superior human resources who are ready to build the nation,” she said.
UNY Rector, Prof. Sumaryanto, was proud that UNY was once again trusted to host KRTI 2024. He expressed his gratitude to Puspresnas and warmly welcomed all participants. “We are committed to supporting regional development, as directed by Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, through education, tourism, and socio-culture,” he added.
KRTI 2024 features five competition categories with different themes. Racing Plane (RP) challenges participants to create the fastest aircraft with the theme “Fast And on Track (F.A.T),” while Fixed Wing (FW) focuses on logistics delivery to disaster areas using UAVs. The Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) division tested autonomous flying capabilities in long-distance missions and confined spaces. The Technology Development (TD) division emphasized “UAV Technology Independence,” and the Long Endurance Low Altitude (LELA) themed “UAV Utilization for Hotspot Validation Missions,” which focused on monitoring forest fires and critical areas.
The contest runs from September 12 to 18, 2024, with 100 teams from 42 leading universities in Indonesia participating. With a burning spirit of innovation and the support of various parties, KRTI 2024 is expected to be a successful event and inspire the younger generation to continue innovating in unmanned aircraft technology.
