Committed to contributing to the chess realm, Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus)invented the first chess robot in Indonesia. The chess robot developed by Udinus utilized Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.
The chess robot itself is a product of dedication created by both students and faculty members who were part of the Udinus Robotic Club (URC). The chess robot was launched on the third floor of the E building, with Prof. Dr. Ir. Edi Noersasongko, M.Kom., (the Chancellor of Udinus) officially launching it. The chess robot was exceptional and able to claim victory over Andi Tamrin (the Chairman of the Chess Player Association of Central Java).
The chancellor stated that the chess robot was an innovation created by Udinus with the capability of mimicking a human brain, which is much more complex compared to merely imitating human limbs. This chess robot was created as a way to modernize the realm of chess in Indonesia, as well as aim to be a learning platform.
The chess robot is intended to challenge national and international grandmasters for the years to come. In addition to the chess robot, currently, several other innovations are also under development by Udinus.
“Robot Catur telah ditanamkan kemampuan dan langkah-langkah dari beberapa Grandmaster dunia. Roca juga dikembangkan dengan standar internasional dan terdapat juga papan peraga digital,” jelas Rektor Udinus.
One of the developers, Arga Dwi Pambudim, M.T., revealed that the capability held by the chess robot was on par with various Indonesian chess grandmasters. During the development, the developer team equipped a magnetic sensor for the robot to detect any pawn movement. Furthermore, Arga further revealed that the robot chess was officially named Roca Gen 1.0.
“Robot tersebut juga dilengkapi pencapit yang mampu memindahkan bidak-bidak catur. Kalau dalam pergerakan pencapitnya mampu bergerak secara horizontal dan vertikal,” tutupnya.
The chess robot has competed against various chess players, including Ahmad Riziq (a student from Udinus who won the 2022 Asian Youth Chess Championship), Cherista Joane (the runner-up of the 2022 Asian Youth), and Suyoto (a counseling teacher from SMA N 16 Semarang).
Meanwhile, Andi Tamrin (the Chairman of the Chess Association of Central Java) expressed his joy to Udinus for creating this phenomenal innovation. According to him, this robot would make a perfect training device for chess players.
“baru pertama kali ini saya kalah sama robot. Harapan kami robot inovasi Udinus bisa menjadi alat tanding bagi atlet-atlet kami kedepan,” tutupnya.
At the event, both Ahmad Riziq and Zacky Dhia Ulhaq were granted scholarships by the chancellor to study at Udinus 100 percent tuition-free. (Humas Udinus/Alex. Foto: Humas Udinus)
