Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) has once again proved its reputation as the world’s leading university in technology by earning the Grand Champion title in the International Roboboat Competition (IRC) 2022 held in Florida, United States, this June. The ITS team, Barunastra, ranked first in two categories, namely, Design & Documentation and Autonomy Challenge, finishing ahead of the world’s best universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Michigan.
Since 2012, Barunastra has focused on developing unmanned vessels. Barunastra has been designing and producing Autonomous Surface Vehicles, as well as Fuel Engine Remote Control and Remote Control boats. Established by ITS Robotics, Metic Club from Marine Engineering, and Hydromodelling Club from Naval Architecture, Barunastra has a solid commitment to fostering global maritime technology advancement. Therefore, Barunastra has actively participated in various competitions, winning back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019 in IRC, in which it has participated since 2016.
Barunastra proudly presented an autonomous boat called Nala Theseus in this year’s competition. Nala Theseus has been developed with a modularity concept so that it could accommodate a large amount of cargo on board. In addition, Nala Theseus has been designed with a watertight hull that prevents damage to its electrical components. Barunastra’s achievement has not only become a source of ITS pride, but also a national treasure. Fatahillah Muhammad Daffa Shodiq, one of the team members, hopes that this accomplishment will inspire the development of autonomous boats in Indonesia, one of the world’s foremost maritime countries.