My Interest in Robotics Led to a Career in AI Engineering
A Story of Novebri Tito Ramadhani, Bangkit 2023 Batch 2 Graduate from Mechatronic Engineering, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
Only a few people can succeed in a field they have been passionate about since childhood. Novebri Tito Ramadhani (22) is one of them. His early interest in robotics has led him to a career in a closely related field.
Tito—that’s what he’s called—has been enthusiastic about robotics since middle school. His passion for robotics grew more robust and led him to study in Bangkit. His Bangkit’s learning experience earned him many, from being ready to compete in robotics competitions to receiving a full-time AI-related job offer from a state-owned enterprise. Curious about Tito’s journey? Let’s check out the full story below!
Tito’s Teenage Years Were Characterized by a Love of Robotics
In 2002, Tito was born into a family that prioritized education. His parents instilled in him the belief that no matter how knowledgeable someone is, continuous learning is essential for personal growth. Lifelong learning was a core value in Tito’s family.
As a middle schooler, Tito not only excelled in academics but also spent countless hours tinkering with robots with simple machines. Unfortunately, when he went to high school, his new school didn’t have a robotics club to nurture his passion. His robotics journey began again when he attended Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta and studied Mechatronics Engineering.
On campus, Tito gained significant insight into industrial automation, which is still related to robotics and makes him feel like he belongs. Furthermore, he joined his campus robotic club to nurture his passion for robotics. It was the moment Tito got acquainted with aerial drones.
The Aerial Drones Led Tito to Bangkit
At his campus robotic club, Tito sparked his interest in aerial drones. He was keen to have his robot equipped with image-processing capabilities related to Machine Learning. Coincidentally, his friend at Politeknik Negeri Jakarta was a Bangkit cohort, and he introduced Tito to the program.
Knowing that Bangkit offered a Machine Learning path, Tito was motivated to join the program so that he could equip his aerial drones with an object detection device powered by image processing features. He enrolled in the Bangkit 2023 Batch 2 and self-directed his studies.
During his time in Bangkit, Tito highlighted his capstone project experience. Together with his team, Tito developed Bloomy, an application that can assess the fish quality at Kalibaru Fish Market, Jakarta. This innovation earned Tito and his team rank among the top 50 teams in the capstone project.
Although Tito reaped success, he also underwent a challenging phase in Bangkit. He had to attend classes on campus while learning in Bangkit. Once, he was up until 3 a.m. to catch up with the lessons and work on his capstone project with a colleague.
Innovated a Lot in Bangkit: From Cancer Detector to Aerial Drones
Tito’s challenging journey didn’t hinder him from excelling in Bangkit and being an ahead-of-schedule cohort. His academic excellence yielded him an additional course about object detection in TensorFlow. This class provided him with the essential knowledge to construct his aerial drones.
To solidify the learning from Bangkit, Tito engaged in some personal side projects. He enjoyed implementing his Bangkit knowledge to facilitate a more comprehensive understanding. For instance, Tito developed a computer vision system for detecting brain cancer and an NLP tool for identifying Mobile Legends players based on comments on YouTube. He is an advocate of practice-based learning methods.
“In learning, if you rely solely on theory, you may find it difficult to retain the information. Therefore, I recommend combining theoretical knowledge with practical application through independent projects to cultivate your creative problem-solving skills and drive innovation.”
Tito’s innovative approach made him confident and ready to compete in upcoming robotics competitions. He believed that his robot now featured an object detection device that was significantly lighter, more accurate, and could be operated using a small computer program.
AI Engineer Intern Then, Full-Time AI Engineer Now
Besides enhancing his applied Machine Learning expertise in robotics, Tito completed the TensorFlow Developer certification exam. This global certification was invaluable when he applied for an AI Engineer Intern position at Telkom.
As an AI Engineer Intern, he was responsible for creating modules for Telkom’s Human Capital, which were developed using Large Language Models (LLM). His duties included developing teaching modules containing factual information, which required complete references from books and reliable learning sources. The project was estimated to take between two and three quarters to complete.
“I think the most beneficial classes in Bangkit that helped me a lot at work are about embedding NLP and CNN architecture in computer vision.”
Furthermore, Tito was tasked with creating a learning video on computer vision. He was required to convert the presentation slides into audio format and transform them into automated video learning content. Due to the numerous projects he was responsible for at Telkom, Tito was eventually offered the opportunity to become a full-time AI Engineer.
3 Tips From Tito to Maximize Learning Experience at Bangkit
To all the aspiring digital talents out there looking to follow in Tito’s footsteps, here are the tips he shared:
#1 Fundamentals First, Advanced Concepts Later
”Gain a solid understanding of the fundamental principles before moving on to more advanced concepts. A firm grasp of the basics provides a strong foundation for more easily learning additional skills.”#2 Build Your Own Project
“Try creating your own project related to any lessons you’ve just learned to understand better and absorb the knowledge gained from classes or assignments. Learning in your own way can make it easier to comprehend the material.”#3 Be Creative
“Be creative and explore new problem-solving methods instead of sticking to traditional methods. Embracing new approaches will make you more explorative, innovative, and better able to learn."More stories about Bangkit Alum and Cohort:
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