ARStrobot 2026 - Youth IoT Workshop & Drone Pilot Competition
ARStrobot 2026 – Youth IoT Workshop & Drone Pilot Competition was an IEEE STEM outreach initiative designed to introduce high school and pre-university students to practical applications of IoT, robotics, and drone technology. Inspired by Indonesia's vulnerability to natural disasters, particularly the 2025 Sumatra-Aceh disaster, the program highlighted the potential of drone technology to support humanitarian logistics and disaster response in areas isolated by damaged infrastructure. Conducted from May 5 to September 20, 2026, the program combined educational workshops, technical training, mentoring, and a national drone competition, providing young learners with hands-on STEM experiences and opportunities to develop technical and problem-solving skills.
The program successfully reached 182 young participants, consisting of 42 school-age children and 140 pre-university students, with the involvement of 16 teachers, 25 parents, and 2 IEEE volunteers. Its implementation included 9 workshops, a mentoring program, instructional Zoom meeting sessions, an educational guidebook, and a national drone competition. Four partner organizations, Java Robotic Academy, stARSup, Drone Edutech, and Panggung Kreator, contributed to the program's delivery. Participant feedback indicated encouraging learning outcomes: all 7 student respondents (100%) gave positive ratings regarding improved understanding of drone and IoT applications in disaster logistics, while all 7 (100%) also reported increased motivation to explore STEM, science, and engineering. The participating teacher/advisor also provided positive ratings across all evaluated parameters.
Beyond the immediate learning outcomes, ARStrobot 2026 sought to nurture a new generation of technology-aware and socially responsible innovators who can apply STEM knowledge to address real-world challenges. The experience also provided valuable lessons for future program development. Planned improvements include introducing autonomous drone programming and coding-based competitions, extending mentorship and technical preparation, expanding participation to more provinces across Indonesia, improving equipment readiness through additional spare batteries, and starting promotional activities earlier. Through these developments, ARStrobot aims to evolve into a more comprehensive and sustainable STEM outreach initiative that connects technology education, youth innovation, and humanitarian problem-solving.
Documentation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QIKox3ODt_vPZ1HUuo9OQjjub2LujyU497QTgw47mU0/edit?tab=t.0
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- Bandung, Jawa Barat
- Indonesia
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- Co-sponsored by ARS university
Agenda
1. IoT and Drone Piloting Workshop, May 21, 2026, at SDN 160 Sulaksana. The session began with an introductory classroom lesson, followed by an explanation of aviation regulations, and concluded with hands-on field practice
2. IoT and Drone Piloting Workshop, May 19, 2026, at SMPN 49 Bandung
3. IoT and Drone Piloting Workshop, May 20, 2026, at SMP Muhammadiyah 3. The participants, students from grades 8 and 9
4. IoT and Drone Piloting Workshop, June 2, 2026, at SMK 13 Bandung.
5. IoT and Drone Piloting Workshop, June 22, 2026, at SMK MVP ARS Internasional.
6. IoT and Drone Piloting Workshop, June3, 2026, at SMK Kencana.
7. Teachers from elementary, junior high, senior high, and vocational high schools participated in a workshop and tested their drone-piloting skills, on June 27, 2026.
8. Final event, ARStrobot Drone Pilot Competition held on September 20, 2026, at ARS University.