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IICS Student Kayla Aryawan Envisions Autonomous Robots as Indonesian Heroes
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he Jakarta Scholar Symposium (JSS) is an annual event that provides a platform for sharing ideas and research on a variety of topics to foster collaboration and innovation among young scholars.
Since its inception, students from all walks of life have stunned attendees with their innovative projects. This year, one project has garnered significant recognition; Kayla Aryawan, a student from IPEKA Integrated Christian School (IICS), unveiled a visionary proposal to transform disaster response efforts in Indonesia.
“Just last year, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Cianjur, West Java and destroyed more than 56,000 homes and buildings. In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit the coast of Palu, Central Sulawesi and killed over 4,300 people,” Kayla said regarding the reasoning behind her chosen topic.
Her project centers around the development and implementation of autonomous rescue robots as an alternative solution for a country that is vulnerable to natural disasters. The number of disasters that have plagued the archipelago in recent years prove that geography itself poses significant challenges for emergency responders.
With her project, Kayla highlighted the immense potential of autonomous rescue robots in saving lives and mitigating the impacts of these disasters. She showcased her work in front of her peers during the annual JSS event held on Aug. 23 at the Soehanna Hall of the Energy Building in Jakarta.
While Kayla spoke to attendees, her robot prototypes demonstrated obstacle avoidance and path following capabilities. Looking toward the future, she revealed her vision for advanced rescue robots that could navigate debris, detect trapped victims using advanced sensors and communicate crucial information to human rescuers.
“Instead of ultrasonic sensors, these rescue robots can use laser scanners or high-resolution 3D cameras to gain 360-degree views of their surroundings. In addition to servo motors, these robots can use hydraulic limbs so to move and rotate more easily,” she explained.
The robots could revolutionize disaster relief efforts in Indonesia, as they have the potential to significantly extend rescue timeframes, access hard-hit areas faster than humans and provide invaluable support to human rescuers with their endurance and strength.
Kayla also highlighted some obstacles that still need to be addressed, including the unpredictable environment of disaster sites, the lack of software that “understands” the disasters and the research and development cost to make robots that can operate autonomously. She does believe that the benefits will far outweigh the costs.
“If deploying a team of rescue robots can save potential lives, even if it's just a few, then I say the investment is worth it. Because we can't put a price on human lives,” she said.
Kayla's proposal calls for continued research and a strategic partnership with human rescuers to harness the full potential of rescue robots in disaster relief efforts nationwide. However, she recommends careful implementation to overcome ethical issues and social acceptance of the technology.
