The 2024 Indonesian Flying Robot Contest (KRTI) at Gading Flying Field, Playen, Gunungkidul, saw fierce competition in the Racing Plane Division, which is considered one of the most prestigious divisions. This division challenges participants to design and fly a fixed-wing flying vehicle with high speed, while still prioritizing efficiency in construction design and energy consumption. This year, the theme was FAT (Fast And on Track), emphasizing the importance of speed and precision on the track.
The competition, which took place on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, was attended by 24 teams from 24 universities across Indonesia. Leading up to the final round, the eight strongest teams, including Team Jatayu from Bali State Polytechnic, Team Aerokreasi RP Brawijaya University Malang, Team Bayu Caraka ITS Surabaya, Team Narash BUV UNS Surakarta, and Team Biantara RP General Soedirman University Purwokerto, competed fiercely with their respective strategies.
In this division, each team must design a flying vehicle based on electric motors and use propeller blades or fans made of non-metallic materials. The flying vehicle is launched using a launcher, while landing must be done in a designated area, ensuring the vehicle remains intact without fatal damage to its main parts. The challenge tested the team's technical ability to design, fly and land the vehicle with high precision.
The 700-meter flight track is divided into four gates, which the vehicle must autonomously travel round-trip for 1400 meters. In each flight, the autopilot system was used by remote control, and each team was given 15 minutes of preparation time before take-off. Several teams faced technical difficulties, including failed take-offs, but the competition remained intense in the air.
Mardana, Jatayu Team Coordinator from Politeknik Negeri Bali, expressed his pride in his team's achievement of making it to the quarter-finals. “We have been preparing for this for months, and being able to reach the quarter-finals is very proud,” said Mardana. In the previous year's KRTI, the Jatayu Team only reached the round of 16, so this year's achievement is the biggest for them.
In the end, Team Narash BUV from UNS Surakarta won first place in the KRTI 2024 Racing Plane Division, followed by Team Jatayu from Politeknik Negeri Bali as second place, Team Bayu Caraka from ITS Surabaya in third place, and Team Aswaja Robotika from Hasyim Asy'ari University Jombang in fourth place. This competition is not only a showcase of technological capabilities, but also a source of inspiration for the development of sustainable flying robots in Indonesia.
