UMS Students' AI Health Innovation Wins Gold at YISF 2026

A team of students from Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) has once again made their mark on the international stage, winning a gold medal at the Youth International Science Fair (YISF) 2026, held at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta from April 6 to 9, 2026. The team, named Posturely, earned the top honor for their AI-powered posture detection application.

The team presented a product titled "Posturely: Smart Posture Screening and Digital Physiotherapy Support for Early Childhood Development," a web-based application designed to detect posture conditions early, practically, and accurately.

Team leader Cournicova Afiffah Syailendra explained that the innovation grew out of cross-disciplinary collaboration among students from Informatics Education, Informatics Engineering, and Physiotherapy.

"It started from discussions with our physiotherapy friends, who pointed out that posture detection is still done manually using body landmarks. From there, we developed an AI-based solution," Cournicova said in an interview on Friday (17/4/2026).

Team leader of Posturely, Cournicova Afiffqh Syailendra, at the Youth International Science Fair (YISF) 2026 held at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, April 2026. 

Alongside Cournicova, the Posturely team includes Yulaihah (Informatics Education), Taqiyyah Nurul 'Azzah (Physiotherapy), Afrizal Putra Pratama (Informatics), Fadhil Edya Qashmal (Informatics), and Sulthon Kaffaah Al Farizzi (Informatics). The team is supervised by lecturer Arif Setiawan, S.Kom., M.Eng.

Posturely uses MediaPipe-based computer vision technology to automatically detect key body landmarks such as the head, shoulders, and hips. The data is then analyzed to generate objective, easy-to-understand posture indicator scores, validated by physiotherapists.

"We designed this innovation to help parents monitor their children's posture from an early age, detecting potential issues such as stooped posture, scoliosis, or lordosis. The earlier it is detected, the more effective the treatment," Cournicova explained.

Beyond detection, Posturely also features educational articles on posture health, with planned additions including a direct physiotherapist consultation feature and integration with a nearest clinic finder to help users access follow-up care.

Currently, the system analyzes posture through photo uploads. Going forward, the team plans to develop real-time detection using a camera. "Because it is web-based and supported by global AI technology, this application has the potential to be used widely, even at an international scale," she added.

During its trial phase, the application was used by around 15 users and received positive responses, including from visitors and judges at the competition. Several detection results showed posture imbalances such as uneven shoulder alignment and stooped body positions.

The gold medal win was made possible with support from multiple parties, including UMS's Directorate of Student Affairs and Innovation Talent Development, the relevant study programs, and the faculties involved.

"This experience is incredibly valuable for us. Some team members were winning a gold medal for the first time, making it a huge motivation to keep innovating," Cournicova shared.

Looking ahead, the Posturely team hopes to develop the innovation further into a practical business plan with broad social impact. Beyond being a health solution, the application is also expected to raise public awareness about the importance of physiotherapy from an early age.

Writer: Fika Annisa’ Sholihah

Editor: Maysali Sudarwati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid