Affordable Smart Feeder for Farmers
A solar-powered smart feeder to automate the feeding process for traditional farmers
Solar-Powered Smart Feeder for Aquaculture
Redesigned the electronics and PCB for a solar-powered automated fish feeder, then took it from prototype to production — 50+ units assembled and deployed to rural farmers.
The Problem
Traditional fish farmers in rural Indonesia feed their fish manually — multiple times a day, with no automation. Existing smart feeders on the market are too expensive for smallholder farmers. Venambak needed an affordable, solar-powered solution that could be mass-produced.
What I Built
Took over an existing prototype and re-engineered it for production readiness.
- Redesigned PCB layout from double-layer to single-layer using ESP32 — cutting production cost and time
- Integrated solar panel charging system for fully off-grid operation
- Diagnosed and fixed EMI (electromagnetic interference) issues causing unstable sensor readings
- Handled the full production cycle: PCB assembly, wiring, panel box integration, and QC testing
- Produced 50+ units over 5 months, each field-tested before deployment
ESP32 PCB Design Solar Power EMI Troubleshooting Production Engineering
Impact
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Units Produced | 50+ |
| Power Source | Solar (off-grid) |
| PCB Layers | 2 → 1 (cost reduction) |
| Deployment | Rural fish farms |
- Enabled automated feeding for farmers who previously did everything by hand
- Simplified PCB design made faster production possible
- System runs reliably on solar — no electricity grid needed
Documentation
