RRI.CO.ID, Bandung - A team of students from the Water Resources Engineering and Management (TPSDA) Program, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering (FTSL), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) has brought pride to Indonesia by winning the Gold Award at the World Young Inventors Exhibition (WYIE), part of the International Invention, Innovation, Technology Competition & Exhibition (ITEX) 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, held from May 17–21, 2026.

The team, known as Amreta Amretaan and mentored by Ana Nurganah Chaidar, consists of Fatha Akbar Berlian, Niko Albertvito, Muhammad Farhan Darmawan, Alniro Fahrezel Wibowo, Ario Winoto, Muhammad Izzat Hikmatiar, and Muhammad Iqra Rabbaanee. Their innovation, M.I.S.T.E.R. K.U.C.U.R (Machine-learning Intelligent System for Terrestrial & Environmental Rainwater-fog Utility Cloud-to-Runoff), introduces an autonomous farming system inspired by fog-harvesting techniques.

The idea was born after surveys in Jatinangor revealed that highland farmers often face water shortages. Pumping groundwater from lower areas proved inefficient and risked land subsidence. Drawing inspiration from cacti’s ability to capture moisture, the team adapted fog-harvesting technology for Indonesia’s humid tropical climate and integrated it with machine learning to automatically optimize plant nutrition.

The journey to gold was not without challenges. Financial constraints nearly halted their participation, but the team persevered.

“We almost gave up because of the high costs, but we stayed confident until the end,” said team member Alniro, as quoted on ITB's official website.

In Malaysia, they endured physical and mental strain, surviving on just 2–3 hours of sleep while perfecting their prototype and practicing presentations. Language barriers also tested them as they explained complex agricultural concepts to international audiences.

All the sacrifices paid off when ITB’s name was announced as the gold medal winner. The experience also opened doors for collaboration, as discussions with water resource engineers from various countries provided new insights and potential partnerships for implementation.

For the team, the competition was more than a victory, it was a lesson in resilience and teamwork. They emphasized that the biggest challenge in innovation is turning ideas into reality and that success depends on shared goals among members. Their achievement now serves as encouragement for fellow students to showcase their work internationally and step beyond their comfort zones. ***