UNHAS Students Achieve Success at the ITEX 2020 International Competition
A team of students from the Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hasanuddin University, won a silver medal at the 2020 International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX).
ITEX is an international exhibition of inventions and technological innovations held in Malaysia on November 20–21.
This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition was held virtually.
During an interview on Sunday (November 29) with Evelyn Joanne Rerung, the team leader, she explained that ITEX serves as a platform to gain broader knowledge and is a valuable opportunity to showcase innovative works on the international stage.
In addition, Evelyn also stated that the main objective was to contribute to upholding the good name of Unhas and Indonesia on the international stage.
“We prepared everything from decision-making to technological research and other aspects. For me personally, the challenge of being the team leader was learning how to communicate effectively and make sound decisions,” explained Evelyn.
At ITEX 2020, Evelyn and her team introduced their innovation called Self-Powered Fingerprint Attendance (SPRITE). This innovation emerged from observations made regarding existing fingerprint attendance systems.
Fingerprint attendance systems still rely on electricity as a power source, so they cannot operate during power outages, or on batteries, which generate battery waste.
In addition, their relatively large size also poses a challenge.
To address this, SPRITE was developed as an innovative fingerprint attendance machine utilizing Self-Powered Dynamic System technology. This allows the device to convert excess kinetic energy into energy used to power the system itself.
SPRITE is capable of operating without requiring an external power supply.
“We designed this device to be comfortable to use and portable. It works when the thumb is placed on the fingerprint sensor and the other four fingers press a lever that rotates the gearbox,” she said.
“The energy from the clenched fist is converted into rotational kinetic energy, which rotates a DC generator to produce electrical energy. We’ve also equipped this device with a GUI system to enhance the user experience,” Evelyn added.
It is hoped that SPRITE will become the next generation of fingerprint time-clock machines and, in the future, can be commercially used as time-clock machines for companies, universities, and other institutions that need them.
At the end of the interview, Evelyn encouraged all students and fellow peers to stay motivated, continue creating, and channel their youthful energy into positive endeavors to develop themselves and their surrounding communities.
Team Members
Team Leader: Evelyn Joanne Rerung
Members:
1. Gabriel Samuel
2. Arson Marianus
3. Muhammad Fahryl
4. Josafat Arta Bryan.