Developing an Arduino-Based Ultrasonic Device as an

Energy-saving Pest Repellant

Alea R.J., Calmona N.F., Canonizado A.J., De Torres G.A., Enriquez J.E., Guinihin M., Macuja J.A.,
Manalo J.A., Mentoy J.J., Pagcaliwagan D.M., Satira B.H.

Informative Abstract According to Jahan, Kabir & Kim

(2016), pesticides are one of the handful toxic
Food production systems has always
substances widely used in the environment to
been an issue because of infestation of pests in
eliminate living organisms such as weeds,
farms. Pesticides and other chemical-based
insects, fungus, and rodents. It is also functional
treatments are readily available and has been
to fungicides, herbicides, and several other
introduced to the farmlands. Exposure of
substances given to kill pests. In addition to this,
organisms to chemicals from these existing
pesticides are also used for prevention of vector-
solutions may be debilitating to them. Abiotic
borne diseases such as malaria and dengue and
components like air, water, and soil may be also
unwanted plants in ornamental forests, parks, and
be affected by such chemicals. This study will be
gardens in public health programs. Unintended
performed to introduce a device based on
exposure to pesticides, however, can be highly
Arduino systems as a pest repellent that will be
dangerous for humans and other living organisms
free of chemical-inducing processes. Ultrasonic
as they are designed to contain toxic chemicals
soundwaves will be the main repelling
(Sarwar, 2015). It may cause adverse health
component of the proposed device. Other goals of
conditions even with very low exposure and have
the study are to make the device a sustainable
considerable pernicious environmental impacts
solution through its energy-efficiency, durability,
on other living organisms as well as diverse
and cost-effectivity.
media including air, soil, or water (Aktar et al.,
Introduction 2009). Despite their highly effective contribution
on eliminating and mitigating pests, utilizing
Food security has been a major concern pesticides can give rise to serious matters
globally. Farmers all over the world encounter concerning occupational hazards arising from the
several problems in agriculture. This concurrent exposure of farmers, pesticide sprayers and
issue has led different sectors to form an adequate residents living adjacent to heavily treated
approach towards improving the food production agricultural land (Cabili et al., 2015).
systems and its rate of productivity (Cabili et al.,
2015). Among them is the infestation of bugs in According to Merhi M, Raynal H,
farms which results to a massive disruption on the Cahuzac E, Vinson F, Cravedi JP & Gamet-
growth of the plants. Toxic chemical substances Payrastre L. (2007), several epidemiological
are deliberately introduced to the environment to studies reported in the last 20 years suggest
diminish the agricultural losses caused by the harmful effects of pesticides on human health,
presence of various agricultural and horticultural including a possible relationship between
pests (Singh & Kaur, 2012: as cited in Cabili et pesticide use and cancers, such as non-Hodgkin’s
al., 2015). Around 85% of world production, lymphoma, leukemia, and various types of solid
agriculture is the substantial consumer which tumor. Furthermore, these chemicals are
chemically regulate several pests through the use extremely toxic and poisonous which can affect
of pesticides. both humans and animals (Brouwer et al., 1999:
as cited in Ansari & Tiwari, 2016). In view of
these harmful effects of pesticides, there is an to develop plans to improve and reform unwanted
increasing demand for pesticide alternatives. problems and issues.
Several pest management research Materials
groups have been focused on developing
technology-based solutions for the past thirty 1.100 W Solar-panel
years (Heong et al, 1997). These technologies The 100 W solar panel is the main power supply
emphasized safer and environmentally friendly of the ultrasonic device, A solar cell is a solid-
approaches (Horowitz & Ishaaya, 2012). Some of state electronic device that converts light energy
these are bug light traps and rodent management into electricity through the photovoltaic effect.
system. Pursuant to this, this study aims to
provide a technology-based program and device 2. Audio Power Amplifier
that can be used to eliminate pests, specifically The number of frequencies is controlled by audio
bug famers, using Arduino based ultrasonic pest power amplifier and it is the main controller for
repellent which involves the use of solar panels. maximization of vicinity. It controls the
The ultrasonic waves will disrupt the behavior of ultrasonic waves to be transmitted. The lm380
the bugs and will repel them accordingly. This is constitutes the number of ultrasonic waves that
pivotal not only for the people who have been and will be produced by the pest repellant.
are currently affected by these problems, but also
for a safer environment in the future. 3. Speaker

Objectives The speaker contains electromagnets

which convert electrical signal to sound.
 To construct an Ultrasonic repellant
powered by a Solar panel. 4. Arduino
 To obviate the utilization of toxic The Arduino will be the control module
chemicals in repelling pest. for the Ultrasonic Repellents
 To reduce security risks among plants.
 To provide sustainable solutions for pest- 5. DHT Module
control.
Reads the atmospheric temperature and
 To deliver independent energy humidity which would be one of the control
conservation. factors in the system.
 To provide cost-effective and long-
lasting alternative device for pest- 6. RTC Module
control.
The Real Time Clock Module provides
Approach the time which would also be one of the control
factors in the system.
This quantitative research used a design
and development approach. Kemi (2015), 7. 16x2 LCD I2C
enunciated that health and environmental risks
Screen which would show the
that may occur during the life of the product may
atmospheric temperature and humidity, and the
be observed during design and development.
frequency output of the ultrasonic repellents.
Moreover, Robert Q. Riley Enterprises (2020),
states that the process of making a new product 8. Lithium-ion battery
for the purpose of business is called Product
Design. This research will also employ the A 12 V lithium ion battery stores the
remedial study approach. This approach, collected energy from the solar panel. The
according to University of Waterloo (2019), aims voltage capacity of the lithium battery is
sufficient enough to power the device without
overheating the circuit nor providing insufficient
voltage capacity.
Methodology:
The Ultrasonic Pest Repellant provides
sounds which can cause abruption to any pests
that could hear it. The repellant produces a sound
of 40 kHz – 80 kHz which the average
agricultural pests could hear. These noises would
be deafening and would cause auditory pain for
those who could hear it.
Flowchart
In the study, the Ultrasonic Pest
Repellant works by producing a frequency as
stated above using an 8-ohm speaker which will
be amplified by the transducers. This mechanism
is powered by a 12V Solar-Powered Power Bank.
The mechanism is connected through wires and
to the Arduino Uno which will regulate and
control the mechanism.
These will be the procedures to be
followed by the researchers:
1. Asses the necessary materials, and their
proper requirements for the formation of
the project.
2. Create a systematic diagram of the circuit
and a design for the project.
3. Track down locations to buy the
appropriate materials needed for the
assembly of the project.
4. Provide the materials to be used. Design
5. Follow the diagram and design to
assemble the project.
6. Prepare materials for testing.
SOLAR PANEL
7. Asses the different variables required by
the objectives. BATTERY

Circuit Diagram SPEAKER

AND CONTROL
MODULE