The Bandhayudha Research Team from Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) emerged as a finalist in the Kontes Robot Abu Indonesia (KRAI), a national-level robotics competition held from July 6 to 9, 2025, at the Institut Teknologi Bandung. Prior to this, Bandhayudha had already secured third place in both regional and national robotics competitions.
Helmi, team leader of Bandhayudha, explained that his team had prepared for the event for nearly a year. The competition tested students’ abilities to design and build robots with specific capabilities.
“We found it to be incredibly exciting and challenging. This exhibition was a technical showdown—mechanisms, dribbling, strategy, everything had to be executed against other robots. It truly pushed our skills to the limit,” said Helmi.
“The highlight of our creation was a basketball-playing robot equipped with a unique mechanism allowing it to dribble and shoot using the same system—the first of its kind developed by university students in Indonesia. Our robot features one of the most unique dribbling mechanisms ever designed. It might be the only robot of its kind in the country. It uses a single integrated mechanism to handle both dribbling and shooting tasks, allowing it to switch between the two functions seamlessly,” Helmi explained.
Building the robot was no easy feat. Alongside designing and engineering the robot, team members also had to juggle academic responsibilities.
“There were plenty of challenges. We’re students with classwork and assignments, so managing our time between classes and robot trials wasn’t easy. It took a lot of discipline and good time management,” said Helmi.
Despite the hurdles, the Bandhayudha team is determined to keep innovating and preparing for future competitions.
“We plan to continue development. As delegates for KRAI competition, we face a new theme every year. In 2025, it was basketball robots. Next year, the challenge will change again—maybe something like rice-planting robots, as in past years. We’re already researching mechanism upgrades based on this year’s experience to be ready for the next competition,” Helmi concluded.
Bandhayudha’s commitment to continuous innovation reflects UNDIP’s dedication to cultivating top-tier students who not only excel on the national stage but also make meaningful contributions to society and the nation. (Public Communication/ UNDIP/ Marta & As)