Besting 13 other researches from students of public and private higher educational institutions (HEIs) all over Region IX, Andres Bonifacio College’s Engineering students, Mr. Chieng Maghanoy and Ms. Maria Loreen Rose Regañon bagged the coveted championship in the 2017 DOST-Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits (RICE) Student Creative Research Sibol- College Category. The team was accompanied by Engr. Mark Anthony Enoy, their coach. The RICE competition, held last November 22-24, 2017 at Palacio del Sur, Marcian Garden Hotel, Zamboanga City is conducted every other year in celebration of the National Science and Technology Week which seeks to showcase the services and products of scientists, engineers, researchers, inventors, and innovators nationwide.
Mr. Maghanoy and Ms. Regañon, both third year Electrical Engineering students presented the winning research entry entitled “Jarvis-Arduino Based Home Automation System.” Their innovation taps into the power of artificial intelligence (AI) that is controlled by means of a human voice. This voice controlled AI is connected to Arduino, an open source micro-controller that can be programmed to act as a personal assistant responding to voice commands. The AI serves as the software of the system that receives the command and runs the Arduino which then triggers the relay, and causes appliances to do the desired activity. By using the Home Automation System, a home owner is freed from personally doing some of the usual household chores such as turning off the lights, fans and other appliances.
With their winning the prestigious Student Creative Research Sibol-College Category, the ABCollege contingent shall represent Region IX in the national competition for the same category which will be held in Metro Manila come July 2018. The winners also received a P20,000.00 cash prize from DOST. The other winners in the competition were “Threenergy: Saver Fan and Saver Device,” 1st Runner Up and “Distance Reader and Fare Reader for Tricycle,” 2nd Runner Up. Both researches were coming from students of Western Mindanao State University (WMSU). (Kevin James Limbaga)
