publications

2025

1. 

   Automated Lettuce Grading and Sorting in Postharvest Manufacturing Setup

   In TENCON 2025 - 2025 IEEE Region 10 Conference (TENCON) - Control Systems & Robotics (CSR), 2025

   Abs DOI PDF

   In the Philippines, iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. capitata) remains a high-value crop but its postharvest handling remains inefficient, relying heavily on manual grading and sorting. This study developed a vision-based quality grading and sorting system to streamline postharvest processes. The system utilized MATLAB for control logic and computer vision integration, enabling precise automation into three sorting bins corresponding to the grade of the iceberg lettuce. Computeraided design and dimensioning were carried out using Fusion 360, ensuring the conveyor system design met operational and spatial constraints specific to the lettuce postharvest handling requirements. The automated sorting conveyor which handles five (5) lettuce heads per batch, demonstrated 100% precision at 70% speed and 92% at full operational speed. System time studies recorded an average cycle time of 7.5 seconds per lettuce and a throughput time of 8 lettuces per minute, confirming the system’s efficiency and suitability for postharvest operations

2024

1. 

   Smart IoT-based Feeder System for Koi Fish (Cyprinus rubrofuscus) Aquaculture

   Renann G. Baldovino, Fernando N. Magallanes, Esther Jaimie C. Santos, and 2 more authors

   In 2024 9th International Conference on Mechatronics Engineering (ICOM), 2024

   Abs DOI PDF

   Aquaculture is a method of cultivating marine life from coastal waters for the purpose of producing food, commercial products, and restoration of the water ecosystem. The adoption of technologies provided innovative approaches, particularly in the realm of Industry 4.0 in enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of aquaculture practices. This research focuses on incorporating an IoT-based feeder system for Cyprinus rubrofuscus (Koi Fish) which aims to monitor the environment and control the quantity of food given to the school of fish. This system comprises IoT sensors, actuators, and microcontroller units linked to the internet for surveillance of waterlife quality optimal for the growth and cultivation of the Koi fish. The main components of this system are Raspberry Pi and ESP32 microcontrollers, water quality sensors and servo motors. The integrated software is programmed for a timely feeding cycle and instant data processing. The installed systems, such as Thing Speak, allows remote monitoring and control providing the agriculturist analytical data and instruments for the visualization of the tank control and feeding schedules. As such, the application of the IoT technology in aquaculture leads to a progression in cultivating fish farming through a customizable intelligent feeder system. Additionally, incorporating an intelligent feeders system increases the efficiency in productivity for fish farming achieving a more sophisticated and sustainable aquaculture management practice.

2023

1. 

   Development of a Portable Electronic Nose Device for Sensing Harvested Fruit Volatile Organic Compounds

   Lance Garcia, Raphael Antoine Lim, Nester Neil Lopez, and 3 more authors

   In 2023 IEEE 15th International Conference on Humanoid, Nanotechnology, Information Technology, Communication and Control, Environment, and Management (HNICEM), 2023

   Abs DOI PDF

   Climacteric fruits are considered a staple among many communities globally. However, wastage of these fruits due to overripe qualities continues to be a problem as fruits are commonly thrown out immediately. Since the traditional method of determining fruit quality remains subjective and often inconsistent, a more scientific and accurate means of determining fruit ripeness is needed. This study developed a portable electronic nose (e-nose) prototype containing calibrated gas, temperature and humidity sensors with a design enclosure that would house all electronic components. A geodesic dome was designed and fabricated for the enclosure using fused deposition modelling 3D printing. The design was considered due to its compressive strength, wind resistance, and air flow ventilation. Moreover, the portable e-nose was equipped with a sensor chamber consisting of a sensor array of MQ3, MQ4, MQ135, and DHT11 sensors. These would detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by Lakatan banana while monitoring the temperature and humidity levels throughout the detection.