JAKARTA — A team of students from Universitas Pertamina has earned international recognition after developing an autonomous drone prototype called SkyFast, securing the 3rd Runner Up position in the High Speed Drone Flock category at the prestigious Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition 2026 (SAFMC 2026).
The competition took place at Singapore EXPO from April 7 to 11, 2026, bringing together top university teams from Indonesia and Singapore to showcase advanced unmanned aerial technologies.
The achievement highlights the growing role of Indonesian students in the global development of autonomous systems and drone innovation.
SkyFast Designed for High-Speed Autonomous Navigation
Developed by the RETRO Team from the university’s Electrical Engineering program, SkyFast was created to address one of the biggest challenges in drone flock systems: navigating unpredictable obstacles at high speed without direct pilot control.
According to global market research from Fortune Business Insights, the consumer drone market is projected to grow from USD 5.89 billion in 2025 to USD 15.65 billion by 2034. Indonesia’s drone market alone is expected to reach USD 93 million by 2028.
Despite this rapid growth, autonomous drone flock systems still struggle in complex environments where obstacles can suddenly appear.
“SkyFast was developed as a solution for industries requiring high mobility in dense and unstructured environments,” said RETRO Team Leader Arkhen Bassam Ayubi in an official statement on Thursday (May 7, 2026).
He explained that the drone is capable of reaching speeds of up to 5 meters per second while autonomously maneuvering through narrow openings measuring only 1.5 × 1.5 meters — all without pilot assistance.
Crash-Proof Design and AI-Powered Navigation
The project was developed by a multidisciplinary team consisting of Nanda Agricioleovi, R. R. Dwigyantosa R., Inggil Giri Wiranata, Demas Zaky Musa, Muzaki Ahmad F., Rayzar Raja F., Quinadiene Nasywa A., and Joseph Yang.
The team was supervised by Head of the Electrical Engineering Study Program, Muhammad Abdillah.
One of SkyFast’s main innovations lies in its “100 percent Crash-Proof Geometry” design concept. The drone combines PLA-Carbon materials with hybrid Carbon-Nylon propeller guards to absorb impact energy more effectively during collisions.
Beyond physical durability, the drone integrates LiDAR sensors with the A-STAR navigation algorithm, allowing it to scan its surroundings in 360 degrees and calculate the fastest route in real time.
The system is also powered by FAST-LIO computational methods and a Raspberry Pi mini-computer, enabling near-instant obstacle response with minimal latency.
“SkyFast essentially operates with an intelligent onboard brain capable of reacting immediately to obstacles,” Arkhen explained.
Competing Against Southeast Asia’s Top Universities
In the SAFMC 2026 competition, the RETRO Team finished fourth overall, behind National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember.
The result made Universitas Pertamina the only private Indonesian university to secure a podium finish in the category.
Acting Rector Djoko Triyono praised the students’ achievement, emphasizing that it reflects the university’s strong curriculum focus on Automation and the Internet of Things (IoT).
“This achievement demonstrates our readiness to answer future technological challenges that demand intelligent systems,” Djoko said.
“It also proves that UPER students are capable of developing autonomous technologies that can become real solutions for industrial and national needs.” (*)