Institut Teknologi Bandung

Dealing in prosthetics, the team consists of ITB Engineering Management Lecturer, Wildan Trusaji, S.T., M.T. (Engineering Management 2010) along with 3 ITB students and 2 alumni, namely Sekar Kedaton (Engineering Management 2019), Alya Hanun (Engineering Management 2019), Andy Lucky (Electrical Engineering 2018), Syaiful Hammam (Product Design 2014), and Nurseptian Pratomo (Mechanical Engineering 2010).

Mega Arm is the latest work of Karla Bionics which is contested at the 2023 CYBATHLON Challenges. Intended to support the needs of mechanical work, the prosthetic arms’ highlighted features are the ability to pinch and the strength of the structure on its wrist. It is because most people with disabilities in Indonesia are blue-collar workers who went through work accidents. They find it difficult to return to the world of work and seize formal employment.

Based on the team’s findings, users of prosthesis arms on average are often the backbone of the family and possess mechanical skills to be utilized as their livelihoods, such as opening a tire patching or welding workshop.

The team took only three months to prepare for the competition, having to develop the technology and train its application. Such a short amount of time is thanks to Wildan Trusaji who led the team. His experience as teaching personnel at ITB gave him the knowledge to create the Mega Arm from the previous technology that is the Raga Arm.

“The philosophy of Mega Arm's design utilizes the principle of biomimicry, in which its design follows the principle of the crab claw. There are three principles that we adopt: a closed stationary position, a movement that is only done one arm at a time, and the control center that is not centered in the middle to ensure better adjustment," Wildan explained. In appearance, this Mega Arm still follows the concept of Karla Bionics' prosthetic arm: not resembling a non-amputee arm so that people with disabilities do not feel the need to cover their shortcomings.

The showcase of Karla Bionics' Mega Arm at the 2023 CYBATHLON Challenges was done by a high school student from Bekasi named Daffa Aldiansyah (17 years old). majoring in mechanics from Bekasi named Daffa Aldiansyah who is now 17 years old. As a student majoring in mechanics, using the Mega Arm allows him to achieve his dream as a motorcycle mechanic. Currently, he is actively working as one in his local community, enjoying his hobby of modifying motorcycle engines.

During the competition, Daffa is assisted by Yayat Supriatna, who is a pilot of the previous prosthetic arm for Karla Bionics at the 2022 CYBATHLON Challenges. Both began their one-month training in preparation for the contest to find the most effective strategies for completing each challenge. "As users of prosthesis arms, we must study the objects we want to take, then accustom our bodies to not hesitate to perform the required actions to get optimal results," Yayat explained.

There are two challenges to be completed for gauging the technological ability of the prosthesis technology and the agility of the pilots in the Arm Prosthesis Race (ARM) race. The challenge- dubbed “Bottles”- requires participants to move a bottle containing three liters of water using a crate to the table provided. Another challenge, the Clean Sweep aims to test the ability of the arm to grasp and move various forms of everyday objects such as keys, credit cards, marbles, and pieces of toy blocks.

It is the second time Karla Bionics joined the international event with Daffa as their pilot. The team once again successfully completed all these challenges and got the full points of 20 points. Furthermore, they managed to break into the top 5 by defeating the United States and Spain.
The principle implemented in the Mega Arm is appropriate to be functionally useful for people with disabilities who have certain skills such as mechanical skills like Daffa and others with disabilities.

“We seek better benefits for people with disabilities through the Mega Arm, especially for those who have the responsibility to carry their family. We will try to collaborate with the company's Social and Environmental Responsibility Program (TJSL) or the Charity Program," Khoirun Mumpuni from the Business Development Division of Karla Bionics answered.

It is hoped that through the developed Raga and Mega Arm, Karla Bionics can advocate the message of accepting one's current condition and being proud to be themselves. Through the hashtag #ProudActive, they wish users to be active in carrying out their activities that may help their surroundings.

Reporter: Yoel Enrico Meiliano (Food Engineering, 2020)
Translator: Ruth Nathania (Environmental Engineering, 2019)