Enigma Systems secures second place in KIBO RPC

KIBO Robot Programming Challenge (RPC) organised by The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is an educational program for students. They are required to solve problems by programming free-flying robots like Astrobee and Int-Ball, located in The International Space Station (ISS). This year, ‘Enigma Systems’, a robotics team from Brac University secured the 2nd position in the competition held on October 24th, becoming the first-ever Bangladeshi team to upload a computer programme online to the ISS.

The team consists of leader Md Hashibul Islam (Senior, CSE), along with Suhail Haque Rafi (Senior, CSE), Razin Bin Issa (Senior, CSE), Tahsinul Haque Dhrubo (Senior, CSE), Mursalin Ahmed (Senior, CSE) and S M Abrar Mustakim Taki (Senior, CSE). This is the second time KIBO RPC is being organised and the first time Bangladesh got the chance to become entrants with 17 teams joining from all over the country. ‘Enigma systems’ was one of the Bangladeshi teams recruited by ‘STEMX365’, a Bangladeshi educational platform that focuses in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). 

In the final round, teams had to send a voice message alongside their programmes. ISS astronauts declared the ‘Best Crew Award’ based on the clearest message sent, and Enigma Systems became the only team to receive it. Reminiscing about that day, Hashibul said, “There was nothing to signify that the message was from Bangladesh. So we thought that we were going to send one of the most significant parts of Bangladesh’s identity, our mother language.” Their message read the first two lines of the Bangladeshi National Anthem.