Reposted; First Posted on: December 21, 2023

To have a cattle farm.

From this humble dream of an agricultural engineering student from Siniloan, Laguna, came the inspiration to create an innovative sensory device for cattle farming.

Raymond R. Balino, now an instructor at the College of Engineering (COE) of the Laguna State Polytechnic University-Siniloan Campus (LSPU-SC), shared this during the presentation of their device called “Handheld Cattle Live Weight Estimator Device” (CLWED) at the Technolympics 2023 held at the Cultural Center of Laguna, Sta. Cruz, Laguna, Nov. 29.

The live weight estimator, a thesis project of then agricultural student that was featured in the exhibit and elevator pitch contest to represent the college, brought home the title of grand champion among the different technopreneurs and innovators in the province. 

Cattle Weighing Made Easier

Balino, a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (BSABE) of LSPU-SC, stated that due to the mass production of cattle, he and his co-researchers saw the need to develop a device that could measure the live weight of the cattle with a non-contact approach to reduce the laborious strain on the farmers and perform more operations. 

For their undergraduate thesis, Balino embarked on this technoventure idea with Giselle Coronacion, Christian Harley Dela Cruz, Christian Violeta, and Dr. Menchie Del Rosario. Their device aims to reduce the time of operation and drudgery of work in live weight monitoring. By adopting this smart farming technique in cattle management, farmers can optimize resource utilization, enhance animal welfare, reduce costs, and minimize stress impacts. 

The contactless live weighing device is a research-based product that underwent different kinds of tests for accuracy and precision in weight-reading. Balino shared that their several trials revealed 99% accuracy for bulls and 97.88% accuracy for cows.

One of the advantages of the said device is the speed of getting the weight for about 180 seconds. The device, encrypted with formula and built with hardware and software, automatically shows the live weight reading of cattle on the light-emitting diode (LED) display attached in the device. 

At the moment of presentation, the device has an estimate cost of P6,388.00. 

The innovative product is said to be economical as it can be used by veterinarians and other related companies.

Innovation and Collaboration

Balino shared that they are committed to collaborating with the university research, development, and extension programs to amplify the impact of their handheld cattle live weight estimator in the agricultural community. 

“This collaboration involves joint research projects, leveraging university expertise for rigorous testing and validation,” Balino stated. 

He added that they will work closely with extension services to design impactful educational initiatives, fostering a culture of continuous learning.

“By offering internships and research opportunities to students,” Balino explained, “we aim to contribute to academic development while ensuring the ongoing innovation and relevance of our product.”

Balino also shared that their openness for partnership is a manifestation of their dedication in combining academic rigor with practical application for the benefit of the agricultural community.

Expressing his enthusiasm and optimism for technology innovation, Balino encourages his fellows to delve into the world of technoventures.

“I urge my fellow Ka-Piyu [LSPU fellows] to unleash their innovation, contributing to a future filled with groundbreaking ideas and positive change,” Balino expressed. “Together, let’s continue to push boundaries, support one another, and inspire [one another].”

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