Institut Teknologi Bandung

The talk show was opened by Prof Endra Joelianto, Ph.D., SMIEEE., a lecturer of ICRG. He gave a presentation on radar and its study in engineering physics. Endra started his presentation by explaining the history of radar, which had been used since the 1940s initially by the United States Navy. The word radar actually stands for Radio Detection and Ranging.

"Radar is a radiolocation system: it pinpoints a location using radio waves to determine the distance, angle, and radial velocity of an object relative to a position," elaborated Prof. Endra. The application of radars is salient in aircraft and ship detectors.

Moreover, Prof. Endra described the main components of a radar system. These components include a transmitter to emit electromagnetic waves, a transmitting antenna coupled with a dedicated radar, and a processor to determine the nature of the object.

The next topic, the development of radar in industry, was delivered by Helmi Indra Rizkiana Putra who is a representative of VEGA Instruments Indonesia. Prior to the utilization of radars, distance measurement was done using ultrasonic waves. "Ultrasonic [is] a mechanical wave [that] requires propagation. Whereas radar is a microwave whose propagation is not affected by the environment," stated Helmi while explaining the reason why ultrasonic technology was abandoned.

Waves that require propagation will be affected by obstacles along their medium. Therefore, as the industry progresses, radar becomes the superior option for distance measurements.

VEGA Instruments Indonesia released its first radar sensor in 2004. This sensor was strong enough to measure distances on solids, which was previously not possible by ultrasonic sensors caused by large amounts of impurities such as dust. The sensor was then modified to emit waves with a higher frequency so that it could operate under extreme conditions involving even more impurities.

Another technology developed by VEGA Instruments Indonesia is pressure measurement, a technology that is used to observe the pressure change inside a tank. This technology can also be employed to gauge process pressure, hydrostatic pressure, and differential pressure.

The development of radar and pressure systems undertaken by VEGA Instruments Indonesia is an application of engineering physics to meet the world's current demands. Of course, this includes adapting to more specific needs and integrating instruments into the Internet of Things, which will support automation and reliable access to information.

Reporter: Ananta Muji (Information System and Technology '19)
Translator: Ariq Ramadhan Teruna (Chemical Engineering '21)