THE Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab) of Cebu Technological University (CTU)-Tuburan emerged victorious during the Fabsiklaban 2024 held in Bohol.
Its Smart Egg Sorting Machine won first place in the Prosperity Category of the competition. The category focuses on no poverty, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure.
The CTU-Tuburan FabLab took home P30,000 worth of prizes, a plaque, a certificate of recognition and a token.
The Smart Egg Sorting Machine seeks to help poultry farms minimize the time spent manually sorting eggs. The product has a load cell that accurately weighs the eggs, allowing them to be categorized into small, medium and large sizes.
It also features servo motors that open accordingly based on the identified category of each egg. The machine incorporates an LCD screen to display the respective sizes of the eggs. This advanced technology streamlines the egg sorting process, reduces manual labor and enhances efficiency in poultry farms.
Fabsiklaban 2024 is a prototyping competition where FabLabs from across the Philippines showcased their innovative projects aligned with three key dimensions of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: People, Planet and Prosperity.
The competition was participated by 12 FabLabs. They submitted a single entry per category of new, existing or ongoing projects, with at least 30 percent of the prototype digitally fabricated in their own Fablab or Digifab.
Other winners
Under the Planet Category, emphasizing responsible production and consumption, climate action, life below water and life on land, FabLab Bohol secured first place with its prototype, the KapodHupok Grocery Bag.
This grocery bag is crafted from Kapodhupok, a potential plant-based leather made from kapok fibers and cacao pod husk, bringing together the natural world and cutting-edge technology.
In the People Category, focusing on good health and well-being, the Iloilo Science and Technology University FabLab clinched first place with its prototype, the Personalized Assistive Defense and Navigational Equipment Cane.
This multi-functional tool is designed to empower individuals requiring extra support and protection, featuring a pulse oximeter, flashlight, SOS beacon and taser.
The Fabsiklaban 2024 was one of the highlight events during the FabX PH Convention organized by the Department of Trade and Industry-Central Visayas from May 9 to 10, 2024 in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.
Dubbed “FabX PH: Celebrating a Decade of Fablabs’ Innovation in the Philippines,” the two-day event commemorated 10 years of innovation, collaboration and transformative impact brought about by FabLabs across the country.
The pioneering FabLab in the country was installed at the Bohol Island State University-Tagbilaran. Since its inception in May 2014, the FabLab network in the country has expanded significantly, with about 49 operational FabLabs to date.
These FabLabs, according to DTI 7, are platforms for co-creation and academe-industry-government collaboration enabling micro, small and medium enterprises to develop new products, add value to existing ones, and generate new streams of income. These facilities have likewise enabled the development of low-cost solutions to community challenges and needs.
“DTI 7 encourages FabLabs to accelerate innovation by helping develop a culture of excellence and problem-solving skills in the community where they are situated, with the end in view of bringing innovations within reach of the MSMEs,” said DTI 7 director Maria Elena Arbon.
Central Visayas has 12 FabLabs, of which seven are in Cebu, three in Bohol, one in Negros Oriental and one in Siquijor. These FabLabs act as an innovation hub where industry-academe collaboration happens. / KOC