Cultural Research

By: AA. K. Oka Sudana – Department of IT, Faculty of Engineering Udayana University

Information Technology (IT) is one of the fastest growing fields in this modern era. Our life cannot be separated from it. With its development revolution and telecommunications, from computers to internet, as well as with the presence of mobile technology on smart phones and tablets, made us feel like something is missing without its presence.

However, there are some aspects that need the use of IT deeply; especially for the traditional, cultural and religious things, and the things leading to special cases as well, for example Ceremony, “bebantenan” or Balinese offerings to God, “kekidungan” and “mantram”  or Hindu’s holy songs,  “ala Ayuning dewasa” or good days according to Balinese calendar, Balinese dances, and others related to ceremony, “Yadnya”. The notion that IT is a very modern thing as a symbol of "up-to-date", is opposite or separated from the culture that is considered a symbol of "old-fashioned ". In addition, the local culture, in this case Balinese culture and Hindu of which followers are relatively few, caused reluctances in relating the two fields.

In line with the previous statement, Department of Information Technology (and also Department of Computer Systems and Informatics under the Department of Electrical Engineering) Faculty of Engineering, Udayana University, thinks that it is necessary to do some research and development on the use of IT applications in the cultural and religion aspects; especially for Balinese culture and Hindu through students’ final works and lecturers’ researches.

The main thing that becomes an issue in the research about implementation of information technology in the cultural and religion field, especially for Balinese culture and Hinduism are as follows:

1. Yadnya ceremonial system along with other related systems that are very widely used in Balinese and Hindus daily life.

Such topic as yadnya ceremony (E-Yadnya Ceremony) can be used as a large home-related topic in which its illustration can be seen on fish bone diagram, picture 1.

1. Games related to Balinese culture and Hinduism.

Some games topics that have been done include:

• Game Education about "Lawar Bali", or traditional Balinese food with chopped meat and vegetables, on the Android platform;
• Game Education about "Nanding Canang", or preparation on making offerings made of coconut leaves with a variety of flowers, on Android Platform;
• Game Education about "Nanding Pejati", or preparation on making offerings to thank Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa, on Android Platform;
• Game Education about "Ngulat Tipat", or making a type of rice cake wrapped in woven coconut leaves, on Android Platform;
• A type of Balinese gambling, or "Ceki", game online;
• A playing dice, or “Kocokan/dadu”, game online;
• Game "Spirit" online;
• Game "Domino" Android-based;
• Game-based the adventure and battle of Mahabharata and Ramayana story.etc.

1. Application of video-based learning and 3D animation related to Balinese culture and Hindu, for instance:

• A 3D learning application on how to make “Banten Pejati”,
• A 3D learning application on how to make “Banten Otonan”,
• A 3D learning application on how to make “Eteh-eteh Nyiramin Layon”,
• A 3D learning application of “Eteh-eteh Nyiramin Layon” procession,
• A 3D learning application on how to make “Lawar”,
• A virtual reality learning on how to make “ Babi Guling”, etc.

1. Animation movies (both 2D and 3D) with Balinese culture and Hindu themes

1. Systems related to Balinese traditional medical treatment (Usadha) and medicinal herbs (Taru Pramana)
2. Systems related to the introduction of Balinese alphabet “Aksara Bali”, Balinese alphabet converter, Balinese translator, Text Mining, and Balinese Text to Speech
3. The use of virtual reality technology and augmented reality in writing the Balinese alphabet learning system, “Rerajahan”,  the picture of Balinese traditional puppet, traditional Balinese carvings picture, traditional Balinese carving, etc.
4. Demographical system, genealogy, organization, forecasts mate, fortune and other aspects of Balinese people daily life which has special characteristic.
5. The computer-based systems related to Balinese Traditional Building, ornamental carvings, fine art models, etc.
6. The systems supported by the concept of Geographical Information System (GIS), both personal and Web GIS are developed as well, especially such systems which related to the temple (with Purananya details) and tourist destination.

Object node can represent a Balinese man on the Genealogy Tree Structural system. It is also a model that is very necessary to be developed.  There have been no object nodes that were able to accommodate all the processes occurring in the demographical system in accordance with the concept of Balinese culture so far; such as marriage, divorce, remarriage after divorce, adoption, related to “bebanjaran”, “soroh”, temples, etc. The model should also be able to support the rules of national demographical system.

The previous topics can be enriched by implementing new algorithms along with a combination of existing algorithms (hybrid), so that the system could be better developed and closer to problem solving models in the reality of Balinese and Hindu people’s daily life. The model of Natural Language Processing (NLP) has also become an interesting research to be implemented on some of these topics, in order to make the system with learning models and expert systems become more communicative and humane.(NE)