IoT System on Dynamic Fish Feeder Based on Fish Existence for Agriculture Aquaponic Breeders

Maintaining and breeding fish in a pond are a crucial task for a large fish breeder. The main issues for fish breeders are pond management such as the production of food for fishes and to maintain the pond water quality. The dynamic or technological system for breeders has been invented and becomes important to get maximum profit return for aquaponic breeders in maintaining fishes. This research presents a developed prototype of a dynamic fish feeder based on fish existence. The dynamic fish feeder is programmed to feed where sensors detected the fish's existence. A microcontroller board NodeMCU ESP8266 is programmed for the developed hardware. The controller controls the feeding and feedback mechanism based on attached sensors. An ultrasonic sensor is programmed with the controller to detect the level of food and waterproof ultrasonic to detect existing fish. The humidity sensor was used to measure the humidity in the food container to control the food freshness. Two servo motors were used to move the waterproof sensor to attract the fish and to dispense the food to the fish when existed. The result presents four measured levels that are the temperature of the food container, the quality of food based on humidity measured, fish detection counter and level of fish food in the container. Data analytics on all the measured levels was presented on the ThingSpeak platform by using Blynk to get data collections from all sensors. This research is significant for fish breeders that support IR4.0 system connected online and mobile apps which also contribute to today’s agriculture.

Research on the Application of Machine Learning Algorithm and Fuzzy Logic in Eating Assistive Robot

More than 110 million people in this world are facing some kind of disability, for which they experience difficulty while eating food. Eating Assistive Robots could meet the needs of the elderly and people with upper limb disabilities or dysfunctions in gaining independence in eating. We are researching making a robot, which can assist the disabled in eating their meals. Our Eating Assistive Robot will detect the face of the disabled and process it for whether his/her mouth is opened or closed. Our robot will put a pre-prepared replaceable spoon of food in his/her mouth iteratively until the food lasts in the food container. The methodology we used for it i.e. firstly there is a live camera feed through which we are detecting human faces, after this, a library of Affectiva calculates how much mouth is open. We have set a certain threshold after which the program starts the stepper motor which brings the pre-filled spoon of food into the mouth of the disabled.

The development of a passive, wireless sensor system

<p>This thesis describes the development of a prototype passive, wireless sensor system based on magnetoelastic sensor technology. The application of the sensor system is aimed at the measurement of humidity levels in sealed containers and structures, in particular the detection of moisture ingress in building structures. The system uses magnetoelastic sensor elements as is commonly used in commercial electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems for the prevention of shoplifting. Magnetoelastic Metglas® 2826MB material is evaluated and it is shown that the application of a magnetic bias field of the appropriate magnitude is critical for optimum sensor performance. The sensors can be activated for the detection of water vapour by the application of an appropriate chemical interface layer. A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) layer was found to produce a resonant frequency response of approximately 50 Hz/RH(%). The design and construction of a portable electronic sensor reader is described and it is shown that the reader can successfully interrogate the sensor inside sealed spaces at practical distances. The construction of a practical humidity sensor using a PVA coating and the humidity response of the sensor system is then calibrated using a commercial humidity sensor. The system showed good response over the 0-100 % relative humidity range, with some non-linearity observed at high humidity levels. The completed sensor system was then evaluated for practical applications including measurements inside a sealed food container as well as inside a wall cavity. The results indicated that the constructed system was capable of measuring humidity with reasonable accuracy in such applications.</p>

The development of a passive, wireless sensor system

<p>This thesis describes the development of a prototype passive, wireless sensor system based on magnetoelastic sensor technology. The application of the sensor system is aimed at the measurement of humidity levels in sealed containers and structures, in particular the detection of moisture ingress in building structures. The system uses magnetoelastic sensor elements as is commonly used in commercial electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems for the prevention of shoplifting. Magnetoelastic Metglas® 2826MB material is evaluated and it is shown that the application of a magnetic bias field of the appropriate magnitude is critical for optimum sensor performance. The sensors can be activated for the detection of water vapour by the application of an appropriate chemical interface layer. A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) layer was found to produce a resonant frequency response of approximately 50 Hz/RH(%). The design and construction of a portable electronic sensor reader is described and it is shown that the reader can successfully interrogate the sensor inside sealed spaces at practical distances. The construction of a practical humidity sensor using a PVA coating and the humidity response of the sensor system is then calibrated using a commercial humidity sensor. The system showed good response over the 0-100 % relative humidity range, with some non-linearity observed at high humidity levels. The completed sensor system was then evaluated for practical applications including measurements inside a sealed food container as well as inside a wall cavity. The results indicated that the constructed system was capable of measuring humidity with reasonable accuracy in such applications.</p>

Soil Stabilization using Polypropylene Clamshell Food Containers

Soil stabilization is the method of improving the physical properties of soil, such as shear strength and bearing capacity of the soil, by using controlled compaction or the addition of admixtures to produce an improved soil material that has all the desired engineering properties. The new technique of soil stabilization uses plastic waste as an alternative material is of outmost crucial since plastic wastes are non-biodegradable and remain intact after being buried in soil for many years. The present study is focused on investigating the effectiveness of utilizing polypropylene clamshell food containers as soil stabilizers. The physical properties of the untreated clayey soil are determined by conducting moisture content, specific gravity, particle size distribution, and the Atterberg limit test. Also, the Standard Proctor compaction test, as well as the unconfined compressive strength test, are carried out to determine the compaction and strength parameters of the soil sample before and after reinforcing with different percentages of polypropylene clamshell food container strips such as 0.4%, 0.8%, and 1.2%. Findings from this study indicate that the addition of polypropylene clamshell food container strips in the clayey soil is capable of becoming a soil stabilizer agent as the optimum compressive strength of the soil was achieved with replacement of 0.8% of plastic strips, along with increasing the Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) while decreasing the Maximum Dry Density (MDD). Successful implementation of polypropylene plastic in soil stabilization can help minimize the volume of plastic waste in the environment, which then leads to developing a sustainable future by utilizing recyclable material as alternative sources in the geotechnical field.

“Network Design” a Multidisciplinary Project to Raise Awareness of the Indiscriminate Use of Plastics

The University is a meeting place for the transmission of knowledge, but the fact of being able to transmit values that complement student’s training is beyond the exchange of information. Through the call for educational innovation projects, we have the possibility of carrying out actions aimed at solving specific problems by applying innovative methodologies. In 2019, at the High Technical School of Engineering and Industrial Design (ETSIDI) from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), a project was awarded in collaboration with the High Technical School of Architecture (ETSAM-UPM), the IADE School of Design, the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), the Universidad Internacional de la Rioja (UNIR), as well as the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM). The project, called Network Design, is framed in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) environment, applying active approach methods to the problem of the indiscriminate use of plastics. We must promote in the students’ skills they will need later in their professional life. Considering that students of different degrees are used to working with problem learning methodology, we think that an approach should be given that goes beyond obtaining a tangible product. The proposal presented is based on the reuse of food container nets as an essential material to create an object, being a design product, a drawing, or a painting. The “Network” union with other universities encourages the work to be truly multidisciplinary and interuniversity, and that each participant collaborates to spread the project more widely by combining the different ways of tackling the same problem. It will seek to create harmony between the point of view of the materials’ specialist, the landscape painter, the set designer, the fashion designer, the industrial and product designer, and the interior designer. We look for different creation approaches with a common purpose that revalues each plastic. The motto is making beauty from the uselessness and one of the most important objective is encouraging awareness about the indiscriminate use of plastics through a design or an artistic approach.

Single-Use Disposable Waste Upcycling via Thermochemical Conversion Pathway

Herein, the pyrolysis of two types of single-use disposable waste (single-use food containers and corrugated fiberboard) was investigated as an approach to cleanly dispose of municipal solid waste, including plastic waste. For the pyrolysis of single-use food containers or corrugated fiberboard, an increase in temperature tended to increase the yield of pyrolytic gas (i.e., non-condensable gases) and decrease the yield of pyrolytic liquid (i.e., a mixture of condensable compounds) and solid residue. The single-use food container-derived pyrolytic product was largely composed of hydrocarbons with a wide range of carbon numbers from C1 to C32, while the corrugated fiberboard-derived pyrolytic product was composed of a variety of chemical groups such as phenolic compounds, polycyclic aromatic compounds, and oxygenates involving alcohols, acids, aldehydes, ketones, acetates, and esters. Changes in the pyrolysis temperature from 500 °C to 900 °C had no significant effect on the selectivity toward each chemical group found in the pyrolytic liquid derived from either the single-use food containers or corrugated fiberboard. The co-pyrolysis of the single-use food containers and corrugated fiberboard led to 6 times higher hydrogen (H2) selectivity than the pyrolysis of the single-use food containers only. Furthermore, the co-pyrolysis did not form phenolic compounds or polycyclic aromatic compounds that are hazardous environmental pollutants (0% selectivity), indicating that the co-pyrolysis process is an eco-friendly method to treat single-use disposable waste.

AI inventorship: The right decision?

In July 2021 South Africa became the first jurisdiction in the world to grant a patent where the inventor is not human, but an artificial intelligence (AI). The AI creativity machine in question, called DABUS, which was made by American entrepreneur Dr Stephen Thaler, invented a new food container. Thaler applied for a patent on this invention in various jurisdictions around the world. During 2020, Thaler’s patent applications were refused by the by European Patent Office (EPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). These patent offices followed a strictly textual approach in interpreting their respective patent legislation – thereby excluding AI from the definition of ‘inventor’. In this light, the decision by the South African Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) to grant a patent for the same application that was refused by two of the world’s leading patent offices, came as a surprise to many. In this article, the question is posed whether the South African decision was legally correct. The analysis is informed by the ground-breaking judgment by the Australian Federal Court on DABUS’s food container patent application. This judgment was handed down just a few days after the South African decision was published and provides sound legal rationales in support of allowing AI inventorship. Importantly, the Australian Federal Court adopted a purposive approach to interpreting patent legislation – in contrast with the EPO and USPTO. Since South African law adheres to a purpose approach, the Australian judgment offers a more suitable precedent to follow. It is concluded that the South African CIPC decision was legally correct. Furthermore, it is clarified that allowing AI inventorship does not necessarily imply that AI has legal personhood.