Engineering Talent from UMS Shines at i-CAPS 2025 with Double Wins

Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) students once again brought pride on the international stage. Two students from the Faculty of Engineering successfully won awards at the International Students Multidisciplinary i-CAPS Competition 2025, held from August 19–22, 2025 at Howard Johnson Hotel, Incheon, South Korea.

They are Muh. Adityo Rivalta from the Mechanical Engineering Department, who earned the silver prize award, and Mentari Putri Maharani from the Civil Engineering Department, who received the Bronze Prize Award. Both students were accompanied by their supervisors, Prof. Mochamad Solikin, Ph.D. and Ir. Rois Fatoni, Ph.D.

The i-CAPS Competition 2025 was attended by students from six countries, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The competition emphasized cross-university and cross-country collaboration in developing innovative technology projects under the theme “Innovation Meets Tradition.”

In this competition, Rivalta, together with his team consisting of students from ITB and Jeju University, developed an AI-based herbal medicine vending machine. The machine not only dispenses traditional herbal drinks (jamu) but is also equipped with an AI recommendation system that customizes the type of jamu according to the user’s body condition. This innovation is expected to introduce jamu to the global stage, especially in international airports, as an icon of Indonesian health tradition.

“The most valuable experience was the opportunity for cross-country collaboration. We learned a lot from differences in perspectives, cultures, and problem-solving approaches,” said Rivalta on Monday (1/9/2025).

Participants of the 2025 International Student Multidisciplinary Competition. Personal Doc.

Meanwhile, Mentari, collaborating with students from ITB and Chungnam National University, South Korea, developed Aqua Spare, a Seaweed Monitoring System. This tool uses temperature and salinity sensors, along with underwater cameras integrated into a website, to monitor seaweed conditions. The innovation provides a solution for seaweed farmers to monitor their crops without having to dive into the ocean directly, making the process more efficient in terms of time, cost, and risk.

Mentari considered the event one of the most valuable experiences in her life. “The biggest challenge was maintaining communication within our cross-country team for six months. But, alhamdulillah, our hard work paid off with satisfying results,” she said.

The competition itself was a long journey that began in February 2025 in Vietnam. In the initial stage, participants received training from international professors and formed cross-university teams. Afterwards, discussions and prototype development were carried out online over six months before finally being presented in South Korea.

Both students expressed their gratitude for the full support provided by UMS and the Faculty of Engineering. The university covered all their needs, from accommodation and research to visa arrangements.

“UMS has supported us from the very beginning in Vietnam to the final presentation in Korea. That support was a huge motivation for us to deliver the best results,” they said.

As UMS first achievement at the i-CAPS competition, both Rivalta and Mentari hope that the university will continue to participate in international contests in the coming years.

“We hope UMS can maintain and even elevate this achievement so that its name will be increasingly recognized on the international stage,” concluded Rivalta.

Writer: Fika Annisa Sholihah

Editor: Maysali Sudarwati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid