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The team consisted of Azizah Nur Sya’bani (Engineering Physics ITB 2023) as leader, along with Dea Ocha Nerissa Arviana (Electrical Engineering UGM 2023) and Raudhah (Biomedical Engineering UI 2023), under the supervision of Ashari Budi Nugraha, S.T., M.T. from ITB’s Engineering Physics program. Despite coming from different universities and academic backgrounds, the three students successfully collaborated to develop an innovative project in the field of medical technology.

The BENMAX 2025 competition comprised three stages: the abstract submission round on August 21, 2025, followed by the full paper submission on September 14, 2025, and concluded with a final presentation before a panel of four expert judges, including an international representative from Sweden. Out of dozens of participating teams, Tiga Pilar Kehidupan advanced to the final round and was named one of the best teams.

In this competition, the team proposed an innovative smart medical device for real-time and non-invasive monitoring of diabetic wounds. The system integrates biochemical sensor technology with an Internet of Things (IoT)-based application to detect wound condition changes and provide early warnings for potential infections or complications.

Designed with an emphasis on efficiency, affordability, and user convenience for both patients and medical personnel, the innovation aims to help prevent amputations and improve the quality of diabetic care in Indonesia.

Azizah shared that her strong interest in medical instrumentation motivated her to join the competition. “I’ve always been fascinated by medical instrumentation, but biomedical engineering is still relatively unexplored in Indonesia. That’s why I looked for a platform to develop that interest, and I happened to find the BENMAX competition,” she explained.

She added that cross-university collaboration became the team’s biggest strength. “At first, we didn’t know each other, but communication went smoothly, and everyone shared the same sense of responsibility toward the project.”

Raudhah from UI expressed that participating in BENMAX was a valuable opportunity to sharpen her technical skills while embracing collaboration.

“I honestly didn’t expect to reach the final stage, let alone win. But thanks to hard work, prayers, and support from many people, we proved that perseverance always pays off,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ocha from UGM highlighted that the experience provided meaningful lessons about teamwork and adapting to new environments. “I believe everyone has unique potential, and we’ll never know how far we can go if we don’t try.

This collaboration showed that diversity can become a great strength when managed with trust and commitment,” she shared.

The journey to victory was not without challenges. The team had to balance their academic workload while developing a prototype that required multiple trials and refinements.

“Funny enough, I used to dislike chemistry, but because of this project, I ended up getting really comfortable with experiments and chemical materials,” Azizah admitted.

Beyond technical experience, the team members also gained valuable insights into cross-disciplinary communication and innovation. “We learned a lot about commitment and teamwork. Even though we were all busy, we managed to stay supportive and trust one another,” added Raudhah.

Concluding the discussion, Azizah shared a message for fellow students to embrace new opportunities. “Don’t hesitate to step out of your comfort zone. Sometimes, the biggest opportunities come from challenges that seem difficult at first,” she said.

The success of Tiga Pilar Kehidupan at BENMAX 2025 demonstrates that cross-university and interdisciplinary collaboration can produce real solutions for healthcare innovation. Through their project, the team showcased that Indonesian students are capable of contributing to the global transformation of medical technology.

Reporter & Translator: Dina Avanza Mardiana (Microbiology 2022)