A cross-disciplinary team from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in collaboration with the Village Forest Management Agency (LPHD) Nupabomba in Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi, launched a technological innovation called the ITB Smart-Nursery Backpack. This portable device is designed to address the low survival rate of rattan seedlings in the wild through a community-based "Forest-to-Home" method.
Historically, the regeneration of rattan plants in their natural habitat has faced major obstacles, especially during the early germination phase. Pest attacks and fluctuating environmental conditions keep the survival rate of young rattan shoots in the wild below 5 percent. This growth failure threatens the sustainability of rattan, which is both an ecological commodity and an economic pillar for local residents.
The Smart Backpack serves as a solution with a capacity of 50 to 100 seedlings per unit. This backpack-shaped portable device is equipped with humidity sensors, automatic watering, ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation, and physical protection from pests. The entire monitoring system can be controlled and monitored directly by forest farmers using a smartphone application.
A lecturer from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) ITB, Dr. Acep Purqon, explained that this technology facilitates active community involvement in caring for seedlings during the critical first three months from their homes. In addition to supporting conservation, the device's design adopts a biophilic co-living concept that brings natural elements into residents' homes while facilitating seedling mobilization when they are ready to be replanted in the forest.
The project, implemented in July 2026, also involves local stakeholders, ranging from Nupabomba village officials to Small and Medium Industries (SMEs) such as PT Bamba Rattan Furniture. The involvement of the private sector is deemed crucial by Deny Willy Junaidy, Ph.D., a lecturer at FSRD ITB, to ensure the smooth transfer of knowledge and the sustainability of the value chain from upstream to downstream.
With the success of this 3D-printing-based prototype trial, ITB hopes that this collaborative nursery model can be adopted more widely by the government and relevant ministries. This step is expected to strengthen the resilience of tropical forest ecosystems while driving the local economy based on sustainable rattan commodities in other regions of Indonesia.
