Unmanned Aircraft (PUTA) carrying health logistics when taking off from the DABN Public Terminal of Probolinggo Port for trial operation

Campus ITS, ITS News – Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) collaborated with the Business World Industry (DUDI), namely the Surabaya branch of AirNav Indonesia and PT Aerotek Global Inovasi (Beehive Drones), to develop an operational system for Unmanned Aircraft (PUTA) traffic. The method called UAVITS was tested in the final at the Delta Artha Bahari Nusantara Public Terminal (DABN) Probolinggo Port Wednesday (7/12).

The chief executive of the research, Ir Tri Achmadi Ph.D., explained that in this research, a PUTA monitoring system was developed to distribute inter-island health logistics. This research is the second year after the previous success with unmanned logistics drone innovation in November 2021. “Last year, we innovated in operations, while this year, we are focusing on the system,” he explained.

Furthermore, the Science Techno Park (STP) Manager of the ITS Maritime Innovation Cluster revealed, in the final trial phase for UAVITS, PUTA which transported health logistics, was flown from DABN Port to Gili Ketapang Island, Probolinggo. According to him, this trial proves that PUTA can travel across waters for relatively long distances. “Because it is quite rare that PUTA operates across the sea, generally only on land,” he said.

(from left) Albertus Gian Dessayes Adriano, Ir Tri Achmadi Ph.D., and Murdianto Kusumadewa discussing PUTA with the UAVITS system

One research team member, Muhammad Bagus Istighfar, revealed that the system scans data via transponders. Namely a radio transmitter that will deliver signals to the UAVITS system. Furthermore, the data will process the signal to display navigation from PUTA.

This ITS Informatics Engineering Department student said that live monitoring is a superior feature of UAVITS. This feature displays speed, altitude, and position coordinates, with a duration of data retrieval every five seconds. It also adds that the UAVITS shows the PUTA trajectory security level information. “The system can detect safe, warning, danger areas,” he explained.

In addition, UAVITS offers a licensing data verification feature that can help drone owners to take off legally and land flights. Authentication is done by uploading pilot documents so that AirNav can verify them.

PUTA monitoring with UAVITS featuring PUTA flight path visualization

This research is a collaboration of two departments at ITS, namely the Department of Marine Transportation Engineering and the Department of Informatics Engineering. Not only involving students this research also involved lecturers from both departments. These lecturers include Muhammad Riduwan SKom MKom, Agus Budi Raharjo SKom MKom Ph.D., and Siska Arifiani SKom MKom.

Not only that, the research entitled Prototype of Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Operational System (PUTA): Case Study of Medical Logistics Transport Applications in the East Java Airspace was supported by the 2022 Batch Matching Fund (Kedaireka) program by the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research and Technology (Ditjen Diktiristek) Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) RI.

The ITS research team and partners in the final trial of UAVITS at Probolinggo Port

This innovation, which was researched from September to December 2022, received positive responses from the two partners. According to Murdianto Kusumadewa, Junior Manager Planning and Evaluation of Tower AirNav Indonesia Surabaya, UAVITS is a promising breakthrough in the middle of the PUTA movement in Indonesia, which is not guarded. “With this research, it can be applied in regulations so that drones in Indonesia can be monitored more deeply,” he said.

The same was conveyed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Beehive Drones, Albertus Gian Dessayes Adriano ST DIC MSc. He hopes that with the existence of UAVITS, PUTA regulations in Indonesia will become more apparent. This will facilitate PUTA operations in Indonesia and open up industry opportunities. “The opportunity for the industry to be able to supply transponders to drones can realize the sovereignty of the air industry in Indonesia,” said the alumnus of the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering ITS hopefully. (ITS Public Relations)

Reporter: Aghnia Tias Salsabila