Fruit-drying during the pandemic: Designing Raspberry Pi-based smart roof mechanism for food preservation

Due to the hardships brought about by the pandemic, Filipino farmers resort to creative ways of drying fruits. Since there is limited movement during the pandemic brought about by restrictions, farmers have no choice but to employ fruit drying on the roof of their houses to preserve the food. Currently, this is done at the mercy of the elements. However, modern fruit-drying requires monitoring of temperature and humidity so that proper measures can be taken when it is about to rain. Otherwise, rain can cause food spoilage which would cause farmer’s wastage of already scarce resources. The crop chosen for this study was Spondias sp. However, a minor adjustment can also be applied to other fruits, vegetables, and even meat. Once the drying process is complete, the farmer will receive a notification so that the dried product may be processed for packing and selling. Results indicate that the prototype can meet the specifications and that farmers found it helpful. For future works, it is recommended that solar panels be used to utilize the power from the sun. It is also recommended that direct current be used in future project modifications to minimize errors during a power outage.