The Challenge That Changed Everything

One day, Muhammad Adityo Rivalta was challenged by his parents to enroll at St. Michael Catholic Vocational School in Surakarta. Initially, Rival, as he is commonly called, was reluctant to accept the challenge because it did not align with his personal aspirations.

“If you can get into SMK Mikael, that would be amazing,” Rival recalled his parents saying on Saturday (8/2/2025). After careful consideration, he finally accepted the challenge and chose the Mechanical Drawing Engineering major at SMK Mikael.

Although it was not the major he had dreamed of, Rival decided to channel his energy in a more productive way, by participating in various competitions and achieving remarkable success. 

One of his notable accomplishments was securing second place in the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) competition at the 2019 Central Java Provincial Student Competency Competition.

The challenge in this competition was to design a mechanical device using the Autodesk Inventor software. Rival had to build his design from scratch within the competition's time constraints, which ranged from 7 to 8 hours. “The competition lasted for three days, with different challenges each day,” he explained.

His perseverance in achieving success continued into his college years. As a Mechanical Engineering student at UMS class of 2022, Rival actively participated in various technological innovation competitions, this time on a larger scale, reaching the international level.

Rival (second from right) after winning an award at Mechanical Fest 2024.

Last year, Rival formed a team called MedLink Smart, bringing together students from Informatics Engineering, Medicine, Electrical Engineering, and Informatics Engineering at UMS. He initiated a web platform designed to facilitate the monitoring of vital signs, including blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and body temperature, in healthcare clinics.

Rival was particularly disappointed with how vital sign records were still being documented manually in clinics. From his observations, medical staff would typically write the results on a piece of paper before inputing them into a computer. “The registration process takes too long because everything is done manually,” Rival complained.

Determined to address this issue, he and his team developed MedLink Smart, a project that took three months to complete. They built the web platform from scratch, handling everything from research, hardware selection, web development, and electrical system integration.

The MedLink Smart prototype offers an integrated vital sign recording system connected to the MedLink Star web platform. Currently, the prototype is capable of recording two vital signs: blood pressure and body temperature.

Another feature of MedLink Smart allows patients to access doctors' assessments, along with a one-time register function. “You only need to register once,” Rival explained.

Rival and his team later entered MedLink Smart into the UMS International Innovation Day 2024 competition. As the team’s mentor, he successfully guided them to win a silver medal, an achievement that marked their first step toward international competitions.

From February 2-6, Rival, now acting as team leader, took MedLink Smart to Thailand Inventor’s Day 2025 in the medical technology category in Bangkok, Thailand. The MedLink Star team was one of five UMS teams competing in the event.

The prototype developed by Rival and his team impressed the judges, earning them a rare opportunity to present MedLink Smart before the panel. Not all teams received this prestigious chance.

“Ours was the only UMS team invited to present on the mini stage in front of three senior judges,” Rival said proudly.

Thanks to the perseverance of Rival and his team, they were awarded a gold medal and the Health Care Innovation Special Award.

Rival (right) with two of his friends during Thailand Inventors' Day 2025 in Bangkok, after winning the gold medal.

Muhammad Adityo Rivalta initially had a deep passion for computer science. His dream had been growing since elementary school.

However, the young man, born on February 18, 2002, had to set aside his aspirations when a neighbor from his hometown in Wonogiri Regency successfully enrolled at St. Michael Catholic Vocational School in Surakarta.

Encouraged by this, Rival’s parents challenged him to follow in his neighbor’s footsteps, especially since the school was renowned for its top-tier mechanical engineering program.

He eventually chose Mechanical Design and Drawing Engineering as his major for a simple reason: “I picked the program that had computer-related subjects,” said Rival, who had always loved tinkering with computers.

His first year at school was filled with confusion. He couldn’t find the machine design courses he had been eager to study. “Why are there machine operation lab works?” he recalled wondering. It wasn’t until his second year that he finally got to specialize in mechanical drawing, his true area of interest.

After graduating from vocational school in 2020, Rival earned a scholarship to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Design at Wuxi Institute of Technology, located in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, China. However, the escalating pandemic that year forced him to delay his departure for a year.

“For a year, I had to study online,” he said. Naturally, this left him feeling unsettled, learning mechanical engineering without hands-on practice felt incomplete. Frustrated, he confided in his parents about his concerns.

Two years later, Rival was officially accepted into the Mechanical Engineering program at UMS. He also secured another regional government. The decision was not easy, as it meant starting his studies from scratch.

The curly-haired young man found many enriching experiences during his time at UMS. As a freshman, he met a fellow Mechanical Engineering student, Marko Refianto.

Marko was an ambitious student with a strong drive to achieve worldwide success. His dedication and perseverance deeply inspired Rival to actively participate in competitions.

“He never gets tired. Always pushing forward, no matter what it takes. He even once stayed up all night just to finish writing an abstract for a competition,” Rival recalled.

One competition that left a lasting impression on him was the Mechanical Fair UNY at Yogyakarta State University last year. Just before the competition, his computer, essential for practice, suddenly broke down. He was unable to train properly, affecting his performance in the event.

On top of that, just as he was about to leave for the competition, his motorcycle wouldn't start. He had to ask a friend for help to get it running. “I sped from Solo to Jogja and arrived at the venue less than 10 minutes before the event started,” he recalled.

That experience left a deep mark on Rival. He had to overcome multiple obstacles in his pursuit of excellence. Despite his efforts, he had to settle for second place at the Mechanical Fair.

Currently, Rival is busy preparing for an international collaboration event in Vietnam from February 9-15, 2025. The event brings together university students from various countries to form project teams.

Each team consists of students from different nations, and they will work on a special project that will later be competed in South Korea. “The competition in South Korea will take place around August,” he explained.

Despite his busy academic schedule, Rival still makes time to be actively involved in the Mechanical Engineering Design Club (MEDC). His expertise in machine design has earned him the role of design mentor in the club.

MEDC focuses on developing human resources and serves as a platform for UMS Mechanical Engineering students who want to improve their design skills, particularly in mechanical design.

According to Rival, many students join MEDC’s design classes, which are divided into four groups, with each class accommodating up to 30 students. “The instructors are all from our own MEDC members,” Rival explained.

With his vast experience in leading teams for various competitions, along with his impressive track record of national and international achievements, Rival was elected as the new chairman of MEDC earlier this year.

Being a leader is not easy, and Rival is fully aware of the responsibilities that come with the role. He believed that a leader must guide and support their team. “Without a leader, where would the team go?” he reflected.

Writer: Gede Arga Adrian

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid

Editor: Al Habiib Josy Asheva

Designer: Salsabila Kamila Wardah