An intriguing innovation has been produced by five students from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) through the development of the ACO Jacket. This jacket is designed with the primary purpose of adjusting the user’s body temperature to the surrounding environment through an integrated heating and cooling system.
The ACO Jacket is the result of the creative work of UGM students participating in the Innovative Work Student Creativity Program (PKM-KI). Their success in securing funding from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) serves as tangible evidence of the innovative value of this jacket. The team responsible for creating the ACO Jacket is led by Wahyu Agong Nugroho Jati (Teknologi Rekayasa Mesin) and includes Yogi Ilham Ruswara (Teknologi Rekayasa Mesin), Genesis Junior Sumlang (Teknologi Rekayasa Elektro), Linthang Cahya Wijaya (Teknik Pengelolaan dan Pemeliharaan Infrastruktur Sipil), and Melani Putri Pratama (Teknologi Rekayasa Perangkat Lunak), under the guidance of Ma’un Budiyanto, S.T., M.T.
“ACO Jacket is a temperature-regulating jacket that provides comfort to its users, equipped with a heating and cooling system. Users have the freedom to set their comfortable temperature limits, triggering the activation of the cooling or heating features,” expressed Yogi Ilham Ruswara, one of the developers of the ACO Jacket.
Wahyu explains that the addition of cooling and heating features to this jacket aims to enhance user comfort in various weather conditions. Genesis Junior Sumlang adds that the development of the ACO Jacket originated from unpredictable weather conditions and rising temperatures in Indonesia. Based on data from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the average temperature in Indonesia reaches 26˚C – 28˚C, while from May 1-7, 2022, the maximum temperature reached 33˚C – 36.1˚C. This is inconsistent with the American Standard (ANSI/ASHRAE 55-1992), which states that the comfortable temperature range for human activities is around 22.8˚C – 26.1˚C.
Considering these conditions, the ACO Jacket development team decided to implement a cooling and heating system in the jacket as an innovative solution. “We strive to develop a jacket commonly used as secondary clothing to be more comfortable with a temperature adjustment system. ACO Jacket is the answer to that thought by adding heating and cooling features to the jacket, making it easy to use and providing protection for the human body,” stated Genesis.
Melani explains that the product is available in various sizes and has multiple layers, with the outer layer resistant to water splashes, making it safe for embedded electrical devices. The inside of the jacket is equipped with several pockets serving as heating compartments, and at the back, there is an integrated fan. To ensure user comfort, the components embedded in the jacket are coated with foam.