Applied Science Academy at Sekolah Pelita Harapan LV Science Exhibition 2019

Toward Indonesia 4.0

Indonesia is one of the most unique nations around the globe with one of the most diverse cultures and natural resources. Indonesia also possesses one of the most talented pools of people around the globe who have gone and made a difference not only in Indonesia but around the world. It is a common understanding that for a nation as unique as Indonesia, we also have especially unique problems that will require different solutions that apply to only us. Finding solutions is a long journey but undoubtedly requires creativity, the courage to explore, the sensitivity toward scientific discovery, the ability to carry out detailed analysis, and contextual understanding of the nation’s resources. It is important to instill the critical thinking mindset, strong scientific ethics, and out-of-the-box approach toward learning especially in Indonesia.

We now live in an exciting era of open access to knowledge and technology. These open platforms have particularly opened up new venues for Indonesia’s educational and innovation pursuits. In particular, it should no longer be unfit for our younger generation such as high school students to embark on authentic research activities at the highest levels. This is the time for us as a nation to make the quantum leap and bring our nation to the next level. We believe that this goal is in the hands of our younger generations who will lead us in the future.

The Applied Science Academy at Sekolah Pelita Harapan LV aims to be at the forefront of investing in the empowerment of our younger generations starting from high school levels by providing an authentic research environment in areas that the student is passionate about. In the Academy, students work with mentors from different areas of research, such as biotechnology, advanced physics, robotics, data science, pharmacy, alternative energy, and many more. The following are the list of topics for our first generation of Applied Science Academy Student-Scientists.

Applied Science Academy 1st Generation 2018-2019

Materials Science and Advanced Physics:

1. Light Storage and Switching of Strontium Aluminate Phosphors (gr. 10)

2. Electronic Resistance Investigation Down to Cryogenics Temperatures (gr. 12)

Biotechnology: 3. Fibrinolytic Activity of Bacteria Isolated from Indonesian Fusion Kimchi (gr. 12)

Pharmacy: 4. Antibacterial and Antioxidant Properties of Plant Extracts (gr.10) 5. Silk-based Healing Patch (gr. 11)

Food Tech: 6. Taro-based Edible Plastic Film (gr. 12) 7. Harmful Ingredient Food Identification (gr. 10)

Robotics: 8. Eye-Movement Tracking for Robotic Arm Pick and Drop Application (gr. 12) 9. Automated Smart Crane Model (gr. 11) 10. Drone Design and Development (gr. 12) 11. Gesture Controlled Vehicle (gr. 12)

Computer Science: 12. Computer Vision Projection Keyboard (gr. 10) 13. Object/Face Detection Data Science (gr. 10) 14. Emotion Analysis in Social Media Networks (gr. 11) 15. Weather Prediction Using Machine Learning (gr. 11)

Bioinformatics: 16. Heart Pulse and Blood Oxygen Level Monitoring as Stress Indicator 17. Study on the Effectiveness of Natural Anxiety Relief

Civil Engineering: 18. Light Concrete Exploration for Green Housing (gr. 10) 19. Artificial Reef Based on Concrete (gr. 10)

Electrical Engineering: 20. Wind Turbine and Solar Panel Hybrid Energy Harvester (gr. 10, gr. 11)

Results and Highlights

We have witnessed the incredible talents of these high-school students that go beyond any expectation coming from grade 10, 11, and 12 students in the Applied Science Academy. Some of the results and innovation that will be presented in the exhibition are highly original, contextual, out-of-the-box, and very high-quality with some that we are preparing for international scientific publication and conference presentation. In each of these projects, students learn the science, advanced experimental techniques, and when applicable, employ machine learning techniques to enhance their data collection and analysis. We believe this integrative approach toward science is novel and as we will demonstrate in the Science Exhibition, it is a very rewarding approach. Some of the highlights are presented below:

One student works on silk-protein based healing patches that are infused local plant extract that can self-conform to wounds with strong antimicrobial and active ingredient retention properties. This result is currently being prepared for an international publication.

Another student isolated and identified a bacteria from Terasi-Kimchi fusion and discovered its potential application to prevent blood clotting.

A student in the robotics research field, developed an eye tracking system that would allow robotic arms to pick up objects using eye movement, potentially helping people with paralysis.

Another student is studying a crystal that absorbs light and found a way to store this light energy in a long-term fashion. The study is performed using his custom-built and custom-programmed sensors, controllers, and data recording that can auto-analyze thousands of curves all at once. This result will also be presented in an upcoming international scientific conference in modern optics.

A student with passion in bio-friendly plastics, developed a plastic film based on starch and performed detailed analysis and optimization to improve the performance of biodegradable plastics.

It is clear that our students in Indonesia are deeply talented and passionate toward solving problems through science. We now live in a very exciting era of open knowledge, open technology, and open collaboration where students in high-school up to graduate and post graduate students can perform research activities at the highest levels. I believe as we ride on this momentum, this is the era where we as a nation can make the quantum leap toward an advanced science and technology based nation with commitment to environmental responsibilities, humane society, and strong education for our future generations.

Eden Steven, Director of Applied Science Academy Sekolah Pelita Harapan LV