Unpacked Students Create Robot to Exterminate Aedes A Egypti Mosquito Larvae and Fight DHF from the Roots

TIME.CO, Jakarta – A brilliant breakthrough came from five students of Padjadjaran University or Unpack. These five students received funding from Karsa Cipta Student Creativity Program (PKM-KC) with their project i.e. “Smart Portable Larvicide Ball Made of Ciplukan and Basil Leaves as an IoT-Integrated Effort to Control Mosquito Larvae of Aedes a Egypti”.

The team called “Ofelos Larvasida Ball” is composed of Alifia Febriani (Agri-Food), Dira Purwasih (Agri-Food), Siti Sintasari (Chemistry), Veadora Yasminingrum (Electrical Engineering) and Adinda Salsabila (Information Engineering). They created the Ofelos robot in response to the high number of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) cases in Indonesia caused by the spread of the larvae. mosquito Temples of the Egyptians.

Ideas for using Ciplukan leaves and basil

In an interview with Tempo.co, Alifia, head of the Ofelos team, admitted that initially they wanted to use only plant extracts to control the growth of the larvae. However, after a more in-depth study, an intelligent robot was created that can detect, suck up and destroy mosquito larvae that cause dengue fever.

Beyond that, the choice of ciplukan leaf extract and basil was not accidental. Ciplukan grows abundantly in the area near their campus, so they want to maximize the use of this plant which is usually only used for its fruits.

“We want to optimize local wisdom and value from ciplukan leaves,” Alifia told Putri Safira from Tempo.co, Tuesday, September 19, 2023.

Furthermore, in their research, ciplukan leaves were found to contain three compounds that have extraordinary effects on the larvae. These three compounds, when combined, can damage the nervous, digestive and respiratory systems of the larvae.

In the meantime he leaves basil, according to Siti Sintasari, plays a role in providing addictive substances so that the compounds produced by ciplukan leaves can act from inside the larva’s body. Not only that, basil also contains compounds that have the function of disturbing the nervous system and giving a burning sensation to the skin of the larvae.

Characteristics of the larvicidal ball

In addition to the use of ciplukan and basil leaves, the special feature of the Larvasida Ball robot is its small and unique shape, as well as its integrated operating system with Internet of Things (IoT).

Announcement

The Robot Ball Larvicide was created on the premise that the larvae that cause dengue fever are often found in sewers. Therefore, a fairly small but effective tool was created for catching larvae and killing them.

“We want to interrupt the cycle of metamorphosis in the life of the mosquito itself, so we focus on controlling the larvae, especially in sewer areas,” Alifia said.

Inside the Larvicidal Sphere there are two pumps that work to suck up the larvae. The larvae that have entered the ball can then be killed with extracts of ciplukan and basil leaves.

To move it, this ball-shaped robot uses an IoT system. This system allows you to move the robot via navigation website.

With the ESP32 stand which has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities, the robot can be used wirelessly via its internet connection.

This robot is also equipped with a camera that can record the conditions around the ditch where the larvae nest. This camera has also been integrated and can be controlled via website The same.

In development robot Currently, the Ofelos team hopes to achieve one of the points of the Sustainable Development Goals that are strongly promoted in Indonesia. Besides that, it is also hoped that the use of environmentally friendly materials such as ciplukan leaves and basil can reduce the use of abate which harms the environment.

“We hope that our prototype can solve the problem of mosquito resistance,” said Siti Sintasari.

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