en.malanginspirasi.com – The SKY TEAM from Brawijaya University (UB) achieved impressive results at the 2026 International Future Leader Competition (IFLC), held on July 24-25, 2026, at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta.
The team, consisting of students from the Faculty of Agroindustrial and Biosystems Technology (FTAB) and the Faculty of Engineering, developed the SMART Drone innovation, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based precision spraying system to improve the effectiveness of pest control in rice crops.
SMART Drone utilizes the Modified YOLOv5 algorithm to automatically detect pest types and locations through the drone’s camera.
Furthermore, molecular docking was used during the research phase to analyze the interactions between ligands and proteins to identify candidate biopesticide compounds with high affinity for the target pest proteins.
Based on these results, the drone precision sprays only in areas detected as infested, making biopesticide use more effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly.
This innovation was developed as a solution to high crop losses due to pest attacks and the widespread practice of pesticide spraying.
Such situation results in inefficient pesticide use, increases production costs, and has the potential to pollute the environment.
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The SKY TEAM team, led by Ellen Gracia Alfa Yulianto (a student from the Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industrial and Biosystems Technology, Class of 2024), achieved several achievements, including :
- 3rd Runner-Up Winner – Third best overall competition sub-theme
- Gold Medal – Agriculture Sub-theme
- Favorite Poster Award – Agriculture Sub-theme
- Grand Champion – Brawijaya University as the university with the most points and number of winners compared to other participating institutions
“This SMART Drone is a concrete example of how AI and drone technology can be applied in the agricultural sector to increase efficiency and sustainability,” said Dr. Agr. Sc. Dimas Firmanda Al Riza, ST., MSc., the SKY TEAM team’s supervisor.
With this achievement, Brawijaya University further strengthens its position as one of the best universities in Indonesia.
The SKY TEAM team hopes that the SMART Drone innovation can be implemented on a large scale to increase agricultural production and reduce environmental impact.
Other SKY TEAM team members are Amara Balqis Simarmata (Bioprocess Engineering – FTAB UB), Melinda Cicilia Rany (Biotechnology – FTAB UB), Louis Hayden Wong (Chemical Engineering – Faculty of Engineering), and Devyano Tanto (Chemical Engineering – Faculty of Engineering).
The 2026 IFLC competition attracted participants from various countries, including Indonesia, Zambia, India, Kuwait, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Thailand. This SKY TEAM achievement demonstrates that Brawijaya University has the capability to compete internationally.
