Robot contest seen as fun, no serious function for now

Evi Mariani, Jakarta

The annual Indonesian Robot Contest is into its sixth year this year, but both organizers and participants realize that it is still more a display of creativity than a stepping stone for the robot technology industry.

"Is it possible for some a manufacturing company to organize a robot contest and later give the winner a chance to produce the robots for the company?" asked a participant in a seminar on robot technology development on Thursday.

The seminar was held at the University of Indonesia (UI) campus in Depok ahead of the Indonesian Robot Contest 2004, sponsored by the Ministry of National Education and UI, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday on the campus.

Another participant added that the robots they created for the contest would only sit in museums and had no further use after the contest was over.

One of the speakers at the seminar, Hesti Purwanto, from state-owned shipping producer PT PAL, replied that it was possible to link robot-making with the appropriate industries. "We'll take this as an input".

"However, even in the technology-intensive company I work for, I am the only person who specializes in robot development," he added.

Indeed, the demand for robot-operated machinery in Indonesia is still low.

"Only strategic industries like PT PAL and airplane maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia use robots," said Finarya Legoh, the assistant to the deputy for the utilization of technology campaign at the Office of the State Minister for Research and Technology.

Finarya, who is also one of the speakers, added that most manufacturers in the country still used labor-intensive methods.

However, as a member of the organizing committee of the contest, she said her office realized the need to make the contest more than just a robot-making talent contest.

"We're appraising the possibility of connecting the contest participants with the wider public, particularly industry players, so the invention could have some use," she said.

"Perhaps, we will display the robots in the Science and Technology Exhibition Center at Taman Mini for the public to see."

Another speaker, however, saw the contest as just that, which he said was not a bad thing.

"It is a talent contest and it's not bad at all. Just don't expect too much from it," said Taufiq Rohim, the director of the Metal Industries Development Center of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

"Robot technology in developed countries accelerated due to the need to create a more efficient working system, a system which minimized non-productive procedures by applying more precise and accurate machinery.

Taufiq argued that the condition of Indonesia's industries did not yet support the development of robot technology.

Even Japan, he said, the leading country in robot machinery technology, needed 20 years to develop robot intensive industries. "So we have 10 to 15 years more of development and we need the money and serious effort."

Taufiq said serious efforts included fostering an education program that would support the robot industry because the resources Indonesia had now were not adequate.

"We have to see the big picture of the robot industry. It's not enough to just have talented people who can create robots. The country needs a shifting of perspective about industry management to have a robot industry," he said.