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The Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (DTETI) at the Faculty of Engineering, Gadjah Mada University (FT UGM), hosted a visit from the Acting Director General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology (Dirjen Diktiristek), Prof Ir Nizam, MSc, DIC, PhD, along with the implementation team of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Programme (MIT-REAP). Their presence marked a valuable moment that strengthened the synergy between DTETI FT UGM and relevant stakeholders at both the national and international levels.
During the meeting, an intensive discussion took place to explore various aspects related to technological advancements, higher education, research, and innovation. Prof Ir Nizam provided valuable insights into the direction of higher education development in Indonesia, while the MIT-REAP team shared profound perspectives on regional entrepreneurship acceleration programmes that could positively impact the innovation ecosystem in Indonesia.
One of the visit’s agendas included a tour of the UGM Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre located on the first floor of DTETI FT UGM, accompanied by a presentation on the facility. On this occasion, the Acting Director General expressed appreciation and conveyed his hopes for the development of the AI Centre.
“We are visiting to understand the progress of the UGM AI Centre since its establishment almost five years ago. We hope for opportunities to collaborate across faculties, especially in the fields of AI and big data analytics,” he stated.
Dr Eng Ir Igi Ardiyanto, ST, MEng, the Chair of the Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Programme, provided an overview of the UGM AI Centre, including its slogan “UGM AI Cubic,” a wordplay derived from UGM triple-AI, meaning “Artificial Intelligence for Academic-Industry Alliance Innovation.”
He also introduced research products launched by the UGM AI Centre, categorised into areas such as biomedical and health, internet security, smart transportation systems, online sales, energy and renewable energy, telecommunications, social networks, and finance.
Several innovations from the UGM AI Centre were developed in collaboration with external parties. One example is the Road Monitoring System, a collaborative research project with the Toll Road Regulatory Agency (BPJT) of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR). “This innovation uses AI technology to detect damaged or potholed roads and identify their locations for timely repair,” explained Dr Ardiyanto.
Another innovation is the Surveillance System, a collaboration within an internship programme with Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan. This innovation has the ability to recognise specific individuals through CCTV cameras.
“The main advantage of this Surveillance System lies in its ability to automatically monitor and identify suspicious or unusual behaviour. For example, the system can detect strange movements or activity patterns that deviate from the normal pattern, providing warning signals to security personnel or connected monitoring systems,” clarified Prof Ir Nizam.
An experiment conducted involved tracking a specific individual for five months in a laboratory, contributing to research in the field of smart buildings. “The collaboration with Toyohashi University of Technology is ongoing, as evidenced by the exchange of students with DTETI,” he added.
MIT REAP is a collaborative programme involving the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemendikbudristek RI), and Gadjah Mada University, and a private manufacture company.
MIT-REAP organises workshops with a series of activities, one of which is a visit to DTETI FT UGM. Before visiting the AI Centre, the MIT-REAP delegation was received by the Chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Prof Ir Hanung Adi Nugroho, ST, MEng, PhD, IPM, SMIEEE, and several department executives.
Following presentations on existing innovations, the activities continued at the Honeywell FT UGM Connected Laboratory. This session provided the MIT-REAP delegation with the opportunity to directly observe the facilities and technological devices at DTETI FT UGM.