ITS Researchers and the East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Innovate VR-Based Disaster Education

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Mahasiswi ITS (kiri) ketika sedang memandu salah satu siswi SMPN 32 Surabaya saat mencoba menggunakan RRekon VR
Head of the ITS RRekon VR Research Team, Okta Putra Setio Ardianto ST MT, when explaining the implementation mechanism of the RRekon VR trial to students of SMPN 32 Surabaya.

Surabaya, ITS News — In collaboration with the East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) has developed the RRekon VR application. This application, which is useful for post-disaster reconstruction education, has been tested on students at SMPN 32 Surabaya on Wednesday (February 25).

Okta Putra Setio Ardianto, ST, MT, Head of the ITS VR Reconnaissance Research Team, stated that this innovation addresses the challenge of the East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) to educate the wider public regarding the post-disaster reconstruction process. This virtual reality (VR)-based technology is considered an effective educational medium because it involves not only audiovisual but also kinesthetic elements. “The involvement of these various senses is expected to increase public understanding more deeply,” he said.

Furthermore, Okta explained that VR users will be simulated as East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) officers tasked with disaster reconstruction. The high cost of post-disaster reconstruction requires careful planning. “Therefore, RRekon VR is here to provide education to help determine sector priorities,” explained the lecturer from the ITS Interior Design Department .

Perwakilan BPBD Jatim (kiri) saat sedang mengamati tahap uji coba RRekon VR oleh siswa SMPN 32 Surabaya
Representative of BPBD East Java (left) while observing the VR Reconnaissance trial stage by students of SMPN 32 Surabaya

Okta added that this gamification-based innovation involves two modes in sector priority planning: observation and mockup. In observation mode, VR users are transported directly to the disaster site to observe conditions on the ground. Meanwhile, the mockup mode provides users with an overview of the disaster-affected area.

Through collaboration with the East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and SMPN 32 Surabaya, Okta hopes the innovation developed with industry will have a real impact on the wider community. Direct testing on SMPN 32 Surabaya students is expected to further refine the RRekon VR innovation before its official release at the East Java BPBD’s Disaster Education Park (Tenpina) as a disaster education tool.

Mahasiswi ITS (kiri) ketika sedang memandu salah satu siswi SMPN 32 Surabaya saat mencoba menggunakan RRekon VR
ITS student (left) while guiding one of the students from SMPN 32 Surabaya while trying to use RRekon VR

Supporting Okta’s statement, Dhany Aribowo ST, Head of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Division of the East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), stated that the RRekon VR innovation is greatly needed in disaster education. He noted that education related to post-disaster reconstruction processes is currently underdeveloped. “Currently, existing education focuses on disaster prevention and evacuation processes during disasters,” he said.

Dhany added that many people still focus solely on the disaster response phase and neglect the rehabilitation and reconstruction process. However, the role of disaster volunteers should extend beyond emergency response and should also encompass rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts to prepare the region for recovery. Furthermore, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts require community cooperation, so this educational resource can help open their eyes.

Dhany continued, “Not only is this innovation an educational tool for visitors to the East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), but it is also hoped that it will benefit BPBD officers themselves. In the long term, RRekon VR is planned to serve as an educational tool to prepare BPBD post-disaster survey officers. Through real-world data and VR simulations, officers are expected to be able to identify the extent of damage and prioritize treatment.”

Salah satu tim peneliti dari ITS Retno Widyaningrum ST MT MBA PhD (kiri) sedang berdiskusi terkait mekanisme uji coba aplikasi RRekon VR bersama perwakilan BPBD Jatim
One of the research team from ITS, Retno Widyaningrum ST MT MBA PhD (left) is discussing the trial mechanism of the RRekon VR application with representatives of the East Java BPBD.

Moh Bisri, SPd, principal of SMPN 32 Surabaya, warmly welcomed this trial, believing that VR-based educational media could improve students’ literacy levels. He believes the use of technology in learning is highly relevant, as today’s life is inseparable from technological developments. “Hopefully, similar innovations and activities will continue,” he emphasized.

This innovation, born from collaboration between several departments at ITS, the East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and SMPN 32 Surabaya, realizes ITS’s commitment to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This includes point 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities. Furthermore, this innovation also realizes point 4 on Quality Education and point 17 on Partnerships to Achieve Goals. (ITS Public Relations)

 

Reporter: Mohammad Febryan Khamim
Translator: Devinka Mutianeira

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