Republic of the Philippines

BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY

BatStateU Alangilan
Alangilan Batangas City
College of Engineering, Architecture & Fine Arts
www.batstate-u.edu.ph Tel. No. (043) 425-0139 loc. 118

Chemical and Food Engineering Department

ENGG 401: Introduction to Engineering

Final Project
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT FORM
Team Name: OASIS - Outstanding and Authentic Searchers of Innovative Solutions
Piamonte, Lench Krizia Rose C.
Ramos, Kathlene Joy E.
Rivera, James Vincent E.
Members:
Sanchez, Arianne Mathel S.
Talag, Antonette Jane E.
Vergara, Brent Ivan S.
Course/Section: BS ChE 1102
Project Name: tANIm: An IoT-based Field Tiller and Crop Patch Planter Machine
Target Community Filipino farmers
or Beneficiaries:
*Note: Please answer the questions below. You are encouraged to be comprehensive and specific with your
answers. This exercise will be helpful when you craft your pitch form at the end of the Intro to Engineering
Design Challenge. (4-6 pages)
Farmers in the Philippines continue to live in poverty due to the high-cost
farming inputs, low price of palay, lack of capital, and lack of useful
technology. They need a field of their own, better farming
machines/equipment with advanced technologies, and sufficient support
from the government.

These farmers need the project in a sense that it will provide a useful
machine/equipment for them to help speed up the farming process,
especially in crop planting.

Based on their needs, the top 3 priorities should be:

Coming from your 1st - their own land;
online research, 2nd- advanced equipments; and
what did you learn 3rd- support from the government
from the There are many key insights that the proponents identified. First, the
community? Philippines is in the middle of Covid-19 pandemic, thus forcing the farmers
to have a decrease in production due to the risk of being infected. Second,
during the pandemic, the government implemented various executive
orders (E.O.) such as E.O. 135, 134, and 133 as well as the Republic Act
(R.A.) No. 11524 or the Coco Levy Act. E.O. 135 temporarily lowered
import tariff rates for rice coming from non-ASEAN countries, while E.O.
134 and 133 are meant to allow the entry of more imported pork in the
country. Due to this, the country leaned more on import rather than
production of the crops and livestock within the country. On account of this,
farmers were stuck in the middle— making ends meet between survival
from Covid-19 and the laws imposed by the government that put them in
disadvantage.
 Agriculture plays a very significant role in our lives. It serves as the
backbone of the economic system of a certain community. In line with this,
most people’s main source of livelihood is farming. In fact, about 70% of
people rely directly on agriculture for their livelihood. In the Philippines,
agriculture has always been associated with manual labor and traditional
To guide you on farming methods. Filipino farmers are experiencing more struggles about
your design these methods as the time goes by. The main problems about traditional
solution, how do agriculture are the time it takes to complete all the farming processes and
you understand the cost of long-term labor and crop expenses. Due to this fact, the
their problem? researchers came up with an automated machine which can definitely
make the lives of the farmers easier. Our community needs a way to take a
leap and embrace innovation in the field of agriculture because it has a lot
of advantages. Modern and smart farming (such as utilizing advanced
technologies) will contribute to faster and efficient work, reduced time of
production, cost-efficiency, and higher-quality products.
Scope

This project aims to primarily focus on the implementation of tANIm which

is an IoT-based Field Tiller and Crop Patch Planter Machine. This study
seeks to lessen the struggles of its target population, the farmers, as it
promotes the use of an advanced machine in which they can easily
operate in their daily agricultural processes. This project targets the
farmers within the agricultural sector in the Philippines.
Limitations

Given that you can The prototype machine is fully-automated as it is programmed

only do so much according to its functionalities. It has advanced features inlined with the
for the community, concept of smart farming and internet of things (IoT). The crops
what will be the (specifically sugarcane, potato, and palay) at the back storage are
extent of your pre-set up by the farmers and the front field tiller will prepare the soil
solution with prior to planting. It also has a water sprinkler feature which can be used
them? on a daily basis. These mentioned functionalities can be operated by
the user through a mobile application. This project also limits the
machine to the following features: heavyweight, solar- and/or
gas-powered, and easy-operation. It has a heavyweight build since it
needs to till moist soil and carry crops, sensors, solar panels, and
battery. The machine can also be powered by either gas or solar
energy to somewhat expand its source of power. Lastly, it promotes
easy-operation as it can be easily accessed and controlled using a
mobile application connected to Arduino. Further, this prototype is
limited to planting root crops and it will be further modified to promote a
smarter way of farming.
The project has three long-term goals for the community. First, economical
use of solar energy. Solar energy is one of the leading sources of
sustainable energy. It is capable of generating enough power to operate
the machine— which benefits both the source and user. Second,
What will be your sustainable machine-use. The machine can be used in long terms and its
long-term goals to body parts will be made out of strong, durable, and cost-efficient materials.
empower the Lastly, efficient machine operation for a more prosperous agricultural
community? sector. The machine is designed for farmers with little knowledge about
technology and operation. The team aims to create this machine that is
efficient in operation so that the farmers can spend shorter time in the field
while speeding up the farming process. Relatively, this machine can also
take a step towards technological advancement in the agricultural industry.
 The beneficiaries of this prototype would be the following:
1. Filipino farmers
- Given that the target communities are the Filipino
farmers,they are the top beneficiaries of this project and
prototype. One of the purposes for implementing this project
is to provide a machine that would immensely help the
farmers do agricultural labor easier through advanced
technology. Moreover, the sources of power for this
machine can either be nonrenewable (fuel) or renewable
(solar) energy. Further, the application of smart farming
Who do you think
would consequently improve productivity and enable a
will benefit from
larger management system of the crops.
this?
2. Agricultural sector
- With the improvement in productivity through its
technological adaptation, the agricultural sector in the
Philippines would prosper. Aside from better harvested
crops, operational cost would considerably decrease since
human error and resource consumption would be reduced.
3. Consumers
- The improved farming system would provide higher-quality
crops to consumers efficiently. This is assured through the
machine’s operation itself.

Now that you have a clear understanding of your target community's context, the next step is to
try and frame your solution based on the community's situation.

The town of Lian is the farming community that us, the researchers,
can readily access. Agriculture is the people's primary pursuit and
occupation, with other activities coming in second. Rice and
sugarcane fields are integral components of their way of life.
Moreover, farmers, for example, are more likely to extend their
community in the future in order to increase their revenue. Since it is
How do businesses
their main source of finances, the majority of farmers' financing
flourish in the
opportunities come from personal investments and loans.
community?
Further, farmers are the available entrepreneurs in the community.
They are also business owners who consider their farms as part of
their business. Based on observations, they are dedicated to their
farm companies and are prepared to take calculated risks in order to
develop and make their farms profitable.
Based on the farm location, solar energy is readily available. Hence,
solar panels are the most appropriate RE technology for the needs of
the community to be addressed. Additionally, in the current situation,
many trends and innovative solutions are starting to develop in order
How can the project be
to improve agricultural production. One good example is Smart
a part of the solution?
Farming, where the technology is incorporated into farming to
increase the quantity and quality of agricultural products. This
technology will surely help the farming community decrease its lack of
equipment and manpower.
One of the major risks that our project implementation will face is the
La Niña or the above normal rainfall at certain locations in the
How can the solution Philippines. Although solar panels are waterproof, unstable panel
be disrupted? attachment and strong winds might cause the source of power to
break.
 Moreover, there is a risk when it comes to machine maintenance. For
instance, overrunning the machine that is caused by utilizing it to its
maximum performance. Also, improper machine maintenance such
as not replacing the worn out part when needed, may lead to
machinery malfunction.

Further, there is a risk in machine operation after technology is

installed since some farmers are not literate enough in technology and
machinery. Untrained operators can result in abused machinery and
costly breakdowns.

Now that you've framed the bounds of your solution, you can start ideating on all the possible
solutions you can think of. Remember at this stage, it is crucial for you to ask for feedback from
everyone involved to guide you towards the best possible solution.

Semi-Automated Field Tiller and Crop Patch Planter Machine

A machine that involves both machine intervention and human

Proposed Solution/s control. Aside from it being fuel-powered, it will also harness solar
(insert a sketch, and a energy for operation. The purpose of this machine is more of a
clear and concise substitute for traditional field tilling and crop planting.
explanation for 2-3 IoT-based Field Tiller and Crop Patch Planter Machine
ideas)

This fully automated machine offers a more efficient function in terms

of field tilling and crop planting compared to solution A.
Semi-Automated Field Tiller and Crop Patch Planter Machine
This machine is supported by a solar panel and its semi-automated
features. This prototype is idealistic enough that it tries to reduce the
Benefits of the difficulties of farming without fully relying on technology.
Proposed Solution/s IoT-based Field Tiller and Crop Patch Planter Machine
With its fully automated feature and reliance on technology, the
farmers are just one tap away from doing the planting and harvesting
processes.

It's time for you to incorporate everything to a final idea which you believe can be brought into
reality.
 tANIm: An IoT-based-Field Tiller and Crop Patch Planter Machine
This machine is integrated with the concepts of smart farming and IoT.
It is controlled via Thingsquare IoT Platform, navigated through a
smartphone. Additionally, the machine is solar-powered with fuel as an
alternative for an additional power source. Further, due to the sensors,
tiller, crop compartment, and sprinkler, the machine will be considered
heavy duty— given also its function.

Prototype / Product /
Services
Front view Top view Side view
tANIm: An IoT-based Field Tiller and Crop Patch Planter Machiner is
originally a simple product combination of field tiller, crop patch planter,
and water sprinkler powered through solar energy. The farmer’s work
will be easier through the help of robotic arms hooked at the back of
the machine to plant the crops. Further, fuel is an alternative power
source of the machine that has an on/off and accelerator switch for the
gas when operating the machine.

In the case where IoT platform is expensive for the machine to control
the panels of the engine, the producers found an alternative
application for the Thingsquare IoT Platform— the Arduino software.
This works via machine-smartphone connection to control the system
and sensors of the machine.
tANIm can achieve our goals through its innovative features improved
by technology. Field-tilling and crop-planting are made easier due to its
fully-automated features, powered by fuel and solar energy and
How will the solution controlled through Arduino softwares. Moreover, considering the
achieve your goals? current status of the agricultural sector in the Philippines, sustainability
is one of the major issues. Nevertheless, the machine will be
sustained by its strong build and regular maintenance— which are
things to consider while operating and handling heavy duty equipment.
The proposed prototype requires knowledge from specified fields for
its successful operation. Likewise, it needs consultation from the
following:
Project Development
1. Mechanical engineer
Needs (i.e. Technical)
2. Programmer
3. Electrical engineer
4. Agricultural engineer
It will be beneficial in the agricultural sector, specifically to Filipino
farmers since agricultural labor and manpower will be lessened
through the use of our automated machine. Moreover, the production
capacity will increase as well, since the machine has multiple features
Benefits of the
which make the work easier, faster, and more efficient. Further, it will
Solution
be valuable for the economy since it will utilize sustainable energy
sources, such as solar energy, as the dominant source of power. Oil
and gas demands will be minimized as well as other commercial
energy.
*Prototype cost must be affordable for the community (given their income, can the community
sustain the services needed to maintain the solution?)