UNS — The Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia has changed many aspects of community life. Since the first case of Corona Virus Disease was found in Indonesia in March 2020, the citizens are required to wear masks and hand sanitizers. Hand sanitizers can be used if there is no place to wash hands and soap. The demand for hand sanitizers during this ongoing pandemic encourages numerous parties to produce hand sanitizers independently. However, many of the products do not meet the standard product, with significantly lower alcohol content and pH.
Due to their concern on this particular condition, the students of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, take the initiative to create a hand sanitizers’ alcohol and pH level tester based on the Internet of Think (IoT). The testing equipment was introduced as Handsiot. “One of the methods to cleanse our hand is by using hand sanitizers with optimum alcohol and pH level. However, there are many hand sanitizers products on the market that do not meet the established standard,” explains Geovani Rahmad Illahi, a student of Bachelor in Electronic Engineering Study Program, who serves as the Team Leader.
Other than Geovani, the team has four other members, namely, Hayyan Yusuf (Bachelor in Electronic Engineering Study Program), Diah Anggi Munika (Bachelor in Chemical Engineering Study Program), Yuki Martha Anggraini (Bachelor in Chemical Engineering Study Program), and Hibatul Wafi Ah Fahrudin (Bachelor in Medicine Education Study Program). Together, the five are succeeded in creating detector equipment that can connect to a smartphone. The tool is highly practical and simple, with its small size and connectivity to a smartphone.
Further, Handsiot is designed to use the chromatographic method to measure alcohol content. Chromatographic is one of the techniques for separating solution compounds based on the difference in the distribution of the movement that occurs between the mobile and the stationary phase. Meanwhile, to measure the pH level in hand sanitizers solution, the team uses the electrolysis method by using the flow of electrons flowing in the compound.
Under the supervision of Feri Adriyanto, Ph.D. (lecturer of Electronic Engineering Study Program UNS), the team hopes that the combination of the two methods can facilitate the community to determine the optimum alcohol and pH level in hand sanitizers. This innovative creation is proposed for a Student Creativity Program (PKM) and succeeded in receiving grants from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemenristek), Republic of Indonesia, with total funding of Rp 9.8 million. Humas UNS
Reporter: Ida Fitriyah
Editor: Dwi Hastuti