UNU Jogja Students Develop Smart Incubator to Boost Poultry Farm Productivity

Yogyakarta, Indonesia – With Indonesia's chicken population reaching nearly 3.92 billion birds, poultry farming remains one of the country's most valuable SME sectors. Native chickens alone account for around 314 million birds, generating an estimated annual economic value of Rp40 trillion to Rp70 trillion.

Despite its significant potential, small-scale native chicken farming continues to face challenges, particularly during the egg incubation process. Unstable temperatures, improper humidity levels, and inconsistent egg turning often result in embryo mortality and failed hatching, reducing farmers' productivity and profitability.

In established commercial hatcheries, hatch failure rates generally range between 10–20 percent. However, maintaining similar hatchability rates is considerably more difficult for small-scale poultry farmers and SMEs, many of whom still rely on manual incubation methods or simple homemade incubators.

To address these challenges, a team of students from the Electrical Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Information Technology, Nahdlatul Ulama University of Yogyakarta (UNU Jogja) developed Smart Incubator, an intelligent egg incubator designed to improve hatch success through automation and Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

The development team consists of Dwi Ardiyanto, Nabila Zuha Faizah, and Fadil Maulana.

"This smart incubator is IoT-based and equipped with automatic temperature control and an automatic egg-turning system. Users can also monitor the incubator's temperature and power consumption in real time through a web-based monitoring system," said Dwi.

The innovation was showcased during the Electrical Engineering Expo: AKSI (Appreciation of Collaborative Innovation Solutions) Capstone Project and Course Project Exhibition held by UNU Jogja on Wednesday (July 29, 2026).

The exhibition featured final projects developed by sixth-semester students, who were challenged to design technological solutions capable of addressing real-world problems, particularly those faced by SMEs.

The Smart Incubator was inspired by the experience of Mrs. Eni, a poultry farmer in Godean, Sleman. During the 21-day incubation period, eggs must be turned three to four times each day to prevent embryos from sticking to the shell.

"Turning the eggs requires constant attention. Farmers sometimes forget or become too tired to do it consistently," Dwi explained.

To solve this problem, the Smart Incubator automatically rotates eggs every four hours, a feature that is still unavailable in many commercially available incubators.

The system also automatically maintains the optimal incubation temperature of 37.5°C while regulating humidity through integrated sensors. Stable environmental conditions are essential because excessive heat or cold can lead to embryo death or deformities.

"With a capacity of 36 eggs, the Smart Incubator also provides even air circulation while maintaining a stable internal temperature," he added.

For greater convenience, farmers can monitor the incubator remotely through a web-based monitoring system without needing to inspect the machine directly.

The Smart Incubator also emphasizes sustainability. The device consumes an average of only 50 watts of electricity, making it energy-efficient, while several of its components are manufactured using recycled materials.

"With further support, the Smart Incubator can be expanded to accommodate a larger number of eggs since the operating principle remains the same," Dwi said.

Technology Solutions for SMEs Across Multiple Sectors

The AKSI Capstone Project Exhibition showcased more than a dozen technological innovations developed by Electrical Engineering students, all aimed at addressing productivity challenges faced by SMEs across various industries.

In addition to the Smart Incubator for the livestock sector, students introduced several appropriate technology solutions for the food industry, including an automatic diced carrot cutter, an automatic onion peeling machine, and a semi-automatic corn sheller. These innovations also contribute to strengthening food security.

Ahmad Wasim Rizki, one of the students behind the carrot-cutting machine, explained that the device produces uniformly sized 6 × 6 × 6 millimeter carrot cubes more quickly and efficiently than manual methods.

The enclosed machine design also improves operational safety, making it particularly suitable for catering businesses.

"This machine reduces the workload of cutting carrots manually. Similar tools already exist, but most are not electrically powered and still require considerable physical effort," Rizki said.

Meanwhile, the Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology at UNU Jogja, Dr. M. Syamsiro, stated that several student innovations have entered the commercialization stage with support from PT Bank BTPN Syariah, enabling them to be produced and utilized by SME partners. Other projects, particularly those developed by second- and fourth-semester students, remain at the prototype stage and will continue to be refined.

"We hope these innovations will continue to be developed, commercialized, and produced on a wider scale. In fact, several products have already been approved for limited production as the initial phase of implementation," he said. [Arif]