Smarter Solar Drying for Farmers

An IoT-enabled solar dehydrator that monitors temperature and humidity in real-time to reduce tomato and fruit waste, helping small-scale farmers preserve their harvest sustainably.

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The Challenge We're Solving

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High Post-Harvest Loss

Up to 30-40% of produce spoils due to inadequate drying methods and lack of proper preservation techniques.

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Unreliable Sun Drying

Weather dependency makes traditional sun drying inconsistent, risky, and unpredictable for farmers.

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No Real-Time Monitoring

Farmers lack data on temperature, humidity, and drying progress, leading to guesswork and waste.

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Quality & Hygiene Issues

Over-drying or under-drying reduces market value, shelf life, and food safety standards.

Our Solution – CS-154 Smart Dehydrator

A hybrid solar-powered drying system enhanced with IoT sensors, ESP32 microcontroller, automatic climate control, and cloud monitoring—empowering farmers with data-driven preservation.

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Sun

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Solar Panel

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Dryer

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Sensors

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Cloud

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Farmer's Phone

Key Features

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Solar Drying

Completely off-grid operation using renewable solar energy with battery backup for cloudy days and nighttime drying.

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IoT Monitoring

Real-time tracking of temperature, humidity, and airflow via ESP32 microcontroller with cloud connectivity.

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Auto Control

Smart relays activate heaters and fans automatically based on sensor data to maintain optimal drying conditions.

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Batch History Logging

Track every drying session with timestamped data, quality metrics, and performance insights for improvement.

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Food-Grade Design

Safe, hygienic materials and construction suitable for preserving fruits, vegetables, and agricultural produce.

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Scalable for Farmers

Affordable, modular design that grows with your farm's needs without high upfront costs or complexity.

How It Works

Load Produce

Place fresh tomatoes, fruits, or vegetables into the food-grade drying trays inside the solar chamber.

Start Drying

System powers on using solar energy, and IoT sensors begin monitoring environmental conditions in real-time.

Auto Adjustments

Smart system activates heaters or fans as needed to maintain ideal temperature and humidity levels automatically.

Monitor & Collect

Check real-time alerts on your phone via cloud dashboard. Once drying is complete, collect perfectly preserved produce.

Technical Components

For engineers and technical stakeholders: here's what powers our smart dehydrator prototype.

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ESP32 Microcontroller

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BME280 Sensor

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DHT22 Sensor

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DS18B20 Sensor

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Smart Relays

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Solar Panel Array

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Battery Bank

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Cloud Dashboard

Impact & Benefits

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Waste Reduction

Up to 40% decrease in post-harvest loss (simulated testing results)

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Lower Energy Use

60% reduction in energy costs compared to traditional electric dryers

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Longer Shelf Life

3x extended storage period for properly dried agricultural produce

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Improved Quality

95% consistency in product quality with automated monitoring controls

Gallery & Demo

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Prototype Machine

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Wiring & Assembly

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Dashboard Interface

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Testing Phase

Meet Team CS-154

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W.K. Dulnindu Saranga

Project Leader & IoT Systems Architect

Leads the full project lifecycle, from requirement engineering to system integration. Oversees technical decision-making, ensures all subsystems work together seamlessly, and manages coordination between the software, hardware, and UI/UX teams.

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K.D.W.K. Kiriwattuduwa

Hardware Design & Embedded Systems Engineer

Specialises in circuit design, microcontroller programming, and hardware testing. Responsible for ensuring stable sensor integration, power management, and the physical system's operational reliability.

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B.M. Asjath Ahamed

Software Developer & Algorithm Designer

Focuses on core application logic, system optimisation, and functional testing. Contributes to creating efficient workflows, backend processes, and data-driven decision components within the project.

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L.G. Drian

UI/UX Designer & Front-End Interface Developer

Designs intuitive user interfaces and user flows for smooth system interaction. Ensures the visual experience is clean, responsive, and perfectly aligned with the project's theme and branding guidelines.

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Kabilesh K

Mechanical Design & Technical Documentation Specialist

Works on mechanical housing, mounting structures, and supportive components. Produces high-quality documentation including diagrams, assembly notes, and operational guides for the project.

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Seyed Aman Zahir

Web Application Developer & Backend Engineer

Responsible for the full design and development of the web dashboard interface. Manages backend integrations, database connections (Firebase), and supports hardware–software bridging for the smart machine components.

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Lorshan Harith Ravichandran

Quality Assurance & Deployment Engineer

Oversees testing, debugging, and validation across both hardware and software modules. Ensures that the final system meets performance standards and assists with deployment, calibration, and real-environment verification.

Interested in Partnering, Funding, or Testing This Prototype?

We're actively seeking collaborators, investors, and pilot farmers to help bring CS-154 to market and make a real impact on agricultural sustainability worldwide.

Email: team@cs154-dehydrator.edu

University of Innovation | Department of Agricultural Engineering

Software Development Group Project – CS-154