The five winning students are Rayhan Kemal Yaasir (13020040), Risa Eridani Br. Pardede (13020027), Irfan Muhamad Fauzi (13020082), Acyuta Hafizh N P Jr (13020094), and Khairfirza Swandi (13020052). The competition they joined was part of this year’s event “Process Engineering & Energy Days”.

Under the group “Fusion”, the students designed an innovative biodegradable diaper called BAYPER made from chitosan and bagasse (sugarcane waste). The innovation has many advantages, namely its absorption capacity that is eight times greater than commercially-sold diapers and its environmentally friendly materials that do not use polypropylene and polyethylene plastics.

There are two rounds that the group must partake in. Firstly, they must compete in the concept and prototype exhibitions to determine the favorite winner. Then, they have to present in front of the juries to determine the ultimate winner. The exhibition was held at GBK Multipurpose Building while the presentation was held at the Faculty of Engineering Building of UI.

Fusion recounted the many challenges they faced during the competition, starting from picking the best ideas with multiple factors and considerations, creating prototypes despite its large-scale scheme and the limited time imposed on them, to schedules that collide with their examination week. Albeit the tribulation they went through, they resolved all of them with teamwork and support from others.

Each member of the team gave several tips for other students to excel in competitions, especially as a team. They advised others to try their best and be brave. On the other hand, determination and commitment to a schedule are essential to building an effective work environment. Strengthening the relationships between team members is also important to find the optimal work pace and task division according to the specialties of each member. Firza emphasized that the best ideas originated from all perspectives and inputs; thus, the activeness and contribution of the team is a crucial factors in creating the winning product.

"It is important to focus on one or a few races instead of taking all of them at once,” Acyuta added. “Many competitions take months to finish, and people may find it boring to deal with the same thing for a long time. If you focus on only one or a few races, your energy will not be overwhelmed.”

Reporter: Luisa Carmel (Chemical Engineering, 2021)
Translator: Ruth Nathania (Environmental Engineering, 2019)