Jakarta, INTI - Hundreds of students from across Indonesia showcased their robotics skills at the fifth Sukabumi Robotic Competition (SRC), organized by Sukarobot Academy on August 29–30, 2026.
The event, held as part of Sukarobot Academy’s fifth anniversary celebrations, took place at Nusa Putra University. The competition was organized in collaboration with Nusa Putra University, the university’s Technology Engineering Student Organization, and the Indonesian Robotics Association (PRSI).
Sukarobot Academy Founder Japar Sidik said SRC serves as a platform for students to develop their technical abilities and creativity while identifying promising young talent in robotics.
“Our goal is to bring students together, discover new talent, and help prepare the next generation for Indonesia’s Golden Generation 2045,” Japar said.
The fifth SRC featured 12 competition categories tailored to participants’ educational levels and age groups. Categories included Fast Building for kindergarten and elementary school students, Creative Innovation for elementary, junior high, and senior high school students, as well as Line Follower, Sumo, and Soccer competitions for junior and senior participants.
Participants ranged from kindergarten to senior high school, vocational school, and Islamic high school students. Around 250 students from cities and provinces across Indonesia took part in the competition.
According to Japar, Line Follower was among the most popular categories, particularly among participants aged 12 to 16.
AI Takes Center Stage in Creative Innovation
The fifth SRC highlighted Artificial Intelligence (AI) through its Creative Innovation category. Japar said the rapid development of AI technology has encouraged participants to become increasingly creative in designing and developing their robots.
“This year’s theme for the Creative Innovation category is AI. We have seen that many of the technologies and robots developed by the participants already incorporate AI,” he said.
The competition also opened a pathway to international competitions for its top-performing participants.
Winners of the fifth SRC have been included in the selection process of Indonesia’s National Achievement Center (Puspresnas). They are also being considered as potential representatives of Indonesia at an international robotics championship in Malaysia, which is expected to bring together teams from around 10 countries.
“Before competing at the international level in Malaysia, we will provide further training and development here,” Japar said.
Beyond gaining competitive experience and opportunities to compete internationally, SRC participants also have the chance to pursue higher education through scholarship opportunities at Nusa Putra University.
The university has prepared scholarships with a total value of up to IDR 3 billion for competition winners. The initiative is expected to provide young talents with greater opportunities to develop both their academic capabilities and skills in technology and robotics.
However, Japar acknowledged that robotics education and literacy in regional areas still face several challenges. Of approximately 350 students across 21 schools partnered with Sukarobot Academy in Sukabumi, only around 5% have been willing to participate in competitions.
Limited funding for robotics hardware, along with varying levels of understanding among parents and schools about career opportunities in robotics, remains among the key barriers.
To address these challenges, Sukarobot Academy continues to promote collaboration with various stakeholders, including the Indonesian Robotics Association (PRI), to strengthen the country’s robotics ecosystem.
Such collaboration is expected to encourage greater government support and regulatory development while expanding robotics extracurricular programs in schools.
The enthusiasm of young participants was also reflected in 11-year-old Fikran, a student at SDN Cijinjing in Tasikmalaya Regency.
Fikran began learning robotics when he was in fourth grade. In addition to robotics, he enjoys playing soccer, which led him to compete in the Soccer category at the fifth SRC.
“I enjoy building robots and playing soccer, so I decided to join the soccer competition,” Fikran said.
Fikran said he faced no major difficulties during his matches and even secured a 3–0 victory in his final game.
The SRC was not Fikran’s first robotics competition. He said he has participated in four robotics competitions, two of which were held at Sukarobot Academy.
Conclusion
The fifth Sukabumi Robotics Competition highlights the growing interest of Indonesia’s younger generation in robotics and AI. By combining competition, education, international opportunities, and scholarships, SRC is helping nurture the next generation of technology innovators while strengthening Indonesia’s robotics ecosystem.
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