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ACES Newsletter 2019 - University of Peradeniya
ACES Newsletter 2019 - University of Peradeniya
be combined with our computer engineering
knowledge and be transformed into highly
marketable products. Not only did she believe
it, she successfully implemented it through
her product - Soil Quality Analyzer.
" Soil Quality Analyzer is a
device which basically makes
it possible to perform the soil
test at the location "
SOIL QUALIT Y
ANALYZER BY CHATHURANGI EDUSSURIYA
D
epartment of Computer Engineering
University of Peradeniya has always
been a wonderful place that provides
opportunities to undergraduates to explore
and innovate, under the guidance of the
academic staff of the department, headed
by Dr. Kamalanath Samarakoon, backed by
the strong bond between the staff and the
students.
traditional Hackathon Projects, at ACES
Hackathon 2018, when she decided to
do something out of the mere Computer
Engineering scope – a device to automate the
soil testing procedure of the Construction
Field.
She says, “What we normally find in
Hackathons is an improved version of some
product we find out there, somewhere. And
One such opportunity provided for the even though there are 7 departments in our
students annually, organized by the faculty, holding many opportunities, for us,
Association of Computer Engineering as computer engineering undergraduates
Students, is ACES Hackathon, where, the to look around and grab, usually we just
students are given the freedom to form ignore all that.”
groups of their own and to come up with
She further adds, “There are really good
an innovative idea which has a marketable
projects in other departments, that are just
value, and to implement it.
dying away. After writing the paper or the
Chathurangi,
being
a
third
year thesis, these projects are literally done.
undergraduate, who anyway showed a keen Neither implemented nor used.”
interest in innovating ideas and exploring
Chathurangi believed that such projects can
new arenas, crossed the boundaries of the
construction site to the laboratories, thus
the total expenditure for the test alone will
be 500,000 USD. Not to forget the huge
amount of time spent on the whole process
from obtaining the soil sample to issuing the
report containing the data obtained from the
soil test.
Soil Quality Analyzer is a device which
basically makes it possible to perform the
soil test at the location of the construction
What exactly is Soil Quality Analyzer?
site itself, saving all that money and time
The idea of an automated Soil Quality without the need of a separate group of
Analyzer was based on the experiments people reserved for the task.
being done regarding the quality of soil by What does the Soil Quality Analyzer do?
Janaka Wickramasooriya, as the postgraduate
research in Geotechnical engineering under Once the soil sample is inserted into the
Civil Engineering mentored by Professor S. device, it is programmed to find co- relations
between electrical resistivity and other types
B. S. Abayakoon.
of soil parameters.
Before doing a construction, a soil test is done
to check if the soil in that area comprises of With the knowledge Chathurangi has in
an acceptable level of quality, compatible computer engineering, along with her
with the planned construction. Usually, these teammates Kasun Vithanage, Namila
tests are done in laboratories. For instance, Bandara, Rasika Maduranga, Sandun Perera
if a 100km long road is being constructed, and Madushan Subash, she has designed a
soil tests should be done in that whole area system to measure the resistance and obtain
in which the road will be constructed. If the the other soil parameters. The device uses the
test is performed per 10m, 10,000 tests will open source development board – NodeMCU
have to be performed. Usually, a team will be which has its built-in Wi-Fi module, through
hired for the task. One such test costs around which the data obtained from the test is sent
50 USD including transportation from the to the required client - mobile phone, tab,
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