In the realm of global technological exploration, Ibrahim Isaac Bin Mohamad Amir Abdullah, a fourth-semester student pursuing Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) in Internet of Things (BIOT) at UniKL MIIT was hand-picked to be part of the CommTECH Camp Insight 2024, organised by Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Surabaya, Indonesia. As the sole representative from UniKL MIIT and Malaysia, Ibrahim was part of the cohort, Internet of Things (IoT) for Society. The 2-week expedition from 25 January to 5 February unfolded as a fusion of technological innovation, cross-cultural encounters, and collaborative problem-solving.
CommTECH Camp Insight, an annual programme hosted by ITS serves as a melting pot for university students, academics, and professionals from diverse corners of the globe to delve into community and global issues. This year’s theme, “Solving Local Problems with Global Knowledge,” provided the platform for the international participants to put their minds together to conceive IoT grounded solutions to overcome real life problems faced by the community.
CommTECH Camp Insight encompassed courses, visitation and discussion with government and non-government agencies, societal engagement, Indonesian language courses and on a lighter note, a myriad of cultural activities to discover and experience Indonesia’s diverse heritage and culture.
A standout feature of CommTECH Insight Camp was the collaborative group project, where Ibrahim’s team conceptualized and developed an IoT-based Smart Irrigation System. The primary objective of this project was to tackle the critical challenge of optimizing water usage in agriculture through the integration of advanced technology. The system incorporated various components, including Arduino microcontrollers and a selection of sensors, to develop a responsive and efficient irrigation solution. Utilizing Arduino as an open-source electronics platform provided flexibility for programming and integrating diverse sensors into the system.
The Smart Irrigation System operated on the principle of adaptive irrigation, dynamically adjusting watering schedules based on real-time environmental conditions. Continuous monitoring of temperature, soil moisture, and sunlight intensity by the sensors provided essential data for the irrigation decision-making process, which enables the system to optimize water usage, enhance crop yield, and contribute to overall agricultural efficiency.
The cross-disciplinary collaboration among participants with diverse backgrounds fostered an environment of collective learning and innovative problem-solving, empowering the participants to leverage on technology to revolutionize agricultural practices and address real-world challenges in agriculture and promote sustainability.
The programme commenced with a gracious welcome, setting the stage for an immersion into the world of IoT under the guidance of the coordinator, Dr. Astria Nur Irfansyah, alongside fellow participants, delved into the potential of IoT to revolutionize sectors such as health, agriculture, and smart cities. Through hands-on experiences and insightful site visits to successful startups like Teknologila, the participants gained practical insights into the implementation of IoT solutions.
