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LABOUR-INTENSIVE and inefficient practices in the aquaculture industry may seem like a distant problem for most students.
For two software engineering students at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), however, it became the focus of their project aimed at finding a solution to address the issue.
Their effort recently won them RM25,000 at the AgriNXT 2023 Tech Challenge, where they emerged triumphant in the academia challenge track.
For the challenge, Phang Jun Sen and Lee Chee Jian – both from the varsity’s Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) – proposed a system in which aquafarmers can monitor water quality at any moment.
The system development was part of their project titled “IoT-based Water Quality Monitoring: A Foundation for Optimal Aquaculture Management”.
The system features IoT (the Internet of things) functionalities, enabling users to monitor real-time data collected from the sensor, such as water parameter readings for dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and ammonia levels, via a mobile application.
Besides data collection, the mobile application allows users to record activities such as water changing and tank cleaning.
Users will receive alerts when water parameters fall beyond the safety range. Furthermore, the data collected in the system can be analysed to discover trends which serve as useful information for the aquaculture sector.
According to the duo, real-time monitoring serves as a proactive approach to actively prevent detrimental scenarios, including aeration failures and algae blooms, which could potentially lead to fish kill events.
“Looking ahead, we envision a system that features enhanced user-friendliness, incorporates a diverse array of sensors, and has the ability to detect an even wider spectrum of potential issues.
“Our ambition is to make a significant contribution to Malaysia’s flourishing aquaculture sector for a positive impact on the economy and food production,” they said in a recent press release.
For both Phang and Lee, it was their keen interest in utilising their digital expertise for the benefit of society that got them hooked on the project when it was first suggested to them by LKC FES academic Dr Sugumaran Nallusamy.“I accepted Dr Sugumaran’s final-year project suggestion because I was looking for opportunities to make a useful contribution to society with the knowledge I had learnt.
“We worked hard to complete this project as it brings innovation to the agriculture sector. As our project grew, Dr Sugumaran saw potential in it and invited us to participate in the challenge,” said Phang.
Expressing his deep interest in the transformative power of technology across industries, Lee said he recognised the project as an opportunity to utilise his expertise in sensor technology and data analysis.
“This project allows me to bring innovation to the table and contribute significantly to the progress of sustainable aquaculture,” he said.
Phang shared that they not only generated ideas, but also developed real prototypes of the system.
“To understand this issue thoroughly, we conducted a case study on a real-life aquaculture farm. We then developed a prototype that utilises cutting-edge technologies such as IoT to monitor water parameters in real time, which successfully helped the aquaculture farm to improve its operations,” he said.
Lee believes that by continuing to improve, they can reach greater heights and contribute meaningfully to the agriculture sector.
“We hope to inspire a collective effort towards a future of sustainable food, where technology empowers us to overcome challenges and build a resilient food system,” he said.
For their win, the due expressed gratitude for the varsity, Dr Sugumaran, lecturers Dr Ng Oon Ee, Dr Kwan Ban Hoe and the students from the varsity’s Department of Mechatronics and Biomedical Engineering who helped them to assemble the hardware components.
The AgriNXT 2023 Tech Challenge was organised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), in collaboration with Bioeconomy Corporation and the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry on Dec 12 last year at MCMC Academy in Cyberjaya.
The event aimed to discover innovative solutions to the challenges faced by the nation’s agriculture industry by seeking inputs from innovative talents in industry and academia.
It featured two tracks, namely, the academia challenge track and the industry challenge track. The academia challenge track saw the participation of representatives from 10 universities.
The winners of each track will be given the opportunity to showcase their solutions at the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism (MAHA) Expo 2024 in September.
