Semarang, April 20, 2025 – Students from the Applied Bachelor’s Program in Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology (TRKI), Vocational School of Diponegoro University (UNDIP), have once again brought honor to Indonesia on the international stage. In the prestigious Jakarta International Science Fair (JISF) 2025 Online Competition, held from April 15–17, 2025, two research teams from the Kayovoks Chem-E-Car UNDIP community successfully won two gold medals in two different categories: Engineering and Environmental Science.
Ramayana Innovation: Emission-Free Car Powered by Chemical Reactions
The first team, calling themselves Kayovoks Ramayana, achieved success in the Engineering category with their work titled “Advancing Green Automotive Prototypes: Chemical Reaction-Driven Oxygen Generation and Pneumatic Propulsion”. They created a Chem-E-Car vehicle prototype powered by oxygen gas resulting from the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) using a potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) catalyst. This oxygen then became the driving force of the pneumatic system, making it a miniature car that is emission-free and highly environmentally friendly.
This team is composed of talented students: Akhmad Surya Adi Maulana, Muhammad Zidan Fadilah, Devano Gothicardo, Rizki Ananda, Ilyas Nur Hidayat, and Hamaz Al-Fauzan. They successfully proved that the basic principles of chemical reactions can be harnessed to create practical clean-powered vehicles.
IO-Kayovoks: Advanced Electric Vehicle with Aluminum-Air Battery Technology
Meanwhile, the second team, known as the IO-Kayovoks Team, achieved success in the Environmental Science category. They presented a work titled “The Potential of Aluminum-Air Batteries as a Green Energy Source: Design and Implementation in an Electric Vehicle Car Application”. This team is developing an electric car powered by Aluminum-Air Batteries, which are known for their high energy density and zero emissions.
Not only that, this vehicle is also equipped with an advanced safety system based on the iodine clock reaction and a high-precision laser sensor for the automatic braking system. This team consists of Maya Qisthina Gaissani (Chair), Maeza Dhenta Purniawan, Mochammad Wibisono Faizun Sunarko, M. Dio Pratama, David Auza Sitanggang, and Inas Taqiyyah.
UNDIP Vocational Students Prove Global Competitiveness
The success of these two teams proves that vocational students are not only capable of competing, but can also excel in international events thru applied research and technological innovation. “Through this research, we want to show that vocational students can also be pioneers in sustainable solutions for global energy and environmental problems,” said Maulana, a representative of the Ramayana team.
This remarkable achievement is undoubtedly due to the active role of the supervising lecturer, Abdullah Malik Islam Fillardli, S.T., M.T., who consistently guided and directed the research process of both teams—from experiments to the preparation of scientific papers.
Campus Support and Future Hopes
High appreciation was also given to the Vocational School of UNDIP and the Teaching Factory Laboratory as a place for the growth of new innovations and technologies. This success also reinforces the position of Kayovoks Chem-E-Car UNDIP as a pioneer of green energy-based vehicles in Indonesia.
The Head of the TRKI Study Program, Mohamad Endy Julianto, also expressed his pride and hopes. “This achievement is real proof that inventions from the vocational academic community are highly competitive at the global level. We hope that research and innovation activities like this can continue to grow and become solutions to various societal challenges.” With this outstanding achievement, UNDIP Vocational students have not only made a name for themselves but have also proven that the future of green energy in Indonesia can be born from the creative hands of the university’s young generation.