ITS Campus, ITS News – The Barunastra research team of Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) officially launched its newest autonomous ship named Nala Ares Mark II at Plaza dr Angka ITS, Friday (6/2). The ship will compete in the 2026 International RoboBoat Competition (IRC) in Florida, United States, as part of the team’s effort to maintain its international achievements.
This launch marks the readiness of Barunastra ITS as the overall champion of the 2025 Indonesian Ship Competition (KKI) and a six-time Grand Champion of the IRC from 2016 to 2025. In the competition, which will take place from February 19 to 24, this research team will be represented by six students accompanied by one advisory lecturer.
ITS Director of Student Affairs Nur Syahroni ST MT PhD assessed that the achievements attained by the Barunastra team are the result of cross-departmental collaboration. Students’ disciplined character and competitiveness are formed through this cooperation. This is expected to encourage the Barunastra team to maintain its international achievements while building a positive reputation for ITS and Indonesia in the eyes of the world. “Hopefully, the Barunastra team can bring proud achievements not only for ITS, but also for Indonesia,” he said hopefully.
In the 2026 IRC event, the Barunastra ITS team will again compete with the world’s best universities such as MIT, Georgia Tech, and other leading institutions from various countries. The previous achievement of six overall championship titles is an accomplishment that has never been reached by any team in IRC history, and this year the Barunastra ITS team is determined to maintain that dominance with more advanced and innovative technology.
From a technological perspective, Barunastra ITS Team Advisory Lecturer Dr Rudy Dikairono ST MT explained that this newest autonomous ship is equipped with various innovative features to support performance during the competition. These innovations include a sound sensor, a ball-shooting system based on Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, and system development that has been prepared for approximately one year.
In accordance with this year’s competition theme, the Nala Ares Mark II ship has autonomous ship navigation capabilities, including an obstacle avoidance system and independent mission delivery in a disaster condition simulation. In detail, the AI system makes decisions, integrates sensors, and adapts to changing environmental conditions. “With such features, this ship is expected to be able to compete with other teams and regain the Grand Champion title for the seventh time,” said the ITS Electrical Engineering Department lecturer optimistically.
Meanwhile, Barunastra ITS Team Leader Davin Abhinaya explained that in the 2026 IRC, his team will face six missions that must be completed in the competition, which this time is themed Storm Response and Disaster Relief. To support these missions, the autonomous ship was developed with a two-camera system installed at the front and rear to facilitate navigation, and combined with LiDAR technology to detect environmental patterns and obstacles. “We developed this innovation to facilitate navigation, improve obstacle detection accuracy, and support the completion of the six missions in the 2026 IRC competition,” he explained.
The AI system embedded in this newest ship allows for fully autonomous navigation, real-time obstacle avoidance, and mission adaptation according to environmental conditions, all without human control. This technology was developed by considering practical applications for emergency response and disaster relief operations in Indonesian waters, which have more than 17,000 islands. In a context where Indonesia faces climate change challenges and an increasing frequency of natural disasters, this ITS student innovation demonstrates how higher education research can provide concrete solutions to national problems.
The launch of this autonomous ship affirms the commitment of the Barunastra ITS team in developing Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) technology designed to face challenging conditions with a high level of precision. This innovation is expected to be able to represent ITS maritime research in a global competition that demands technological reliability and smart navigation systems.
The participation of the Barunastra ITS research team in the 2026 IRC event also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, point 9 on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, as well as point 14 on Marine Ecosystems through the development of sustainable maritime technology.
The autonomous ship launch agenda was also attended by the ITS Directorate of Student Affairs, the Advisor of the ITS Robotics Student Activity Unit, the Advisor of the Barunastra ITS Team, representatives of sponsors and industry partners, and representatives of ITS robotics team members. The presence of these various parties reflects the strong support of the institution and external partners for the development of technology-based maritime research in the campus environment. (ITS PUBLIC RELATIONS)
Reporter: Iffah Najwa Ulya