Development of an IoT-based Temperature Monitoring and Display System for Cocoa Bean Fermentation
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Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a real-time temperature monitoring and display system for cocoa bean fermentation using Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The system was designed to address the limitations of traditional manual temperature measurement, which relies heavily on labor, provides low measurement frequency, and lacks continuous monitoring capability throughout the fermentation process. The goal was to create a practical and accurate solution appropriate for community-based cocoa producers seeking to improve process control and product quality.
Methods: The developed system consisted of nine DS18B20 temperature sensors installed at the geometric center of each fermentation bin. The sensors were connected to an ESP32 microcontroller, which transmitted data via Wi-Fi to an IoT platform for continuous recording and visualization at 15-minute intervals over a 7-day fermentation cycle. Field experiments were conducted at the “Kon Rak Cocoa” community enterprise in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The accuracy of the IoT system was validated by comparing it with manual measurements, and the economic performance was assessed based on reductions in labor demand, operating costs, and overall payback period.
Results: The system successfully recorded temperature data continuously with an accuracy of ±0.5 °C and demonstrated strong agreement with traditional manual measurements (R² > 0.97). Temperature profiles indicated that the fermentation mass reached the optimal temperature range of 45–48 °C on days 4–6, aligning with previous studies on flavor precursor formation in cocoa fermentation. Economically, the system reduced labor requirements from three workers to occasional system supervision, resulting in annual savings of approximately 160,000 THB, a reduction in total production costs by about 10%, and a payback period of only 1.9 months. These findings demonstrate that the IoT-based system enhances measurement reliability, improves process control, reduces labor dependency, and offers strong potential for upgrading community-level cocoa fermentation through digital and smart-agriculture technologies.
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