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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Health & Science

ITS students design smart sanitary pad vending machine for public spaces

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • ITS students have developed "Sanitary On The Go" (SOTG), a smart vending machine for sanitary pads.
  • The machine aims to improve access to menstrual products in public spaces while ensuring user privacy.
  • SOTG integrates IoT technology for easy purchasing via touchscreen and cashless payments, supporting SDGs.

Students at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) in Surabaya have designed an innovative solution to address the lack of accessible and private sanitary product vending in public spaces. Their creation, dubbed "Sanitary On The Go" (SOTG), is an automated vending machine specifically for sanitary pads, incorporating smart technology.

Muhammad Fikri Kusumadinata, a member of the development team, highlighted the current challenges. "Access to sanitary products in public spaces is not supported by a fast and easily reachable system," he stated. The SOTG aims to provide a convenient and discreet purchasing process through a combination of automation and digital services. "Through SOTG, we present a system that simplifies the purchase of sanitary products without compromising privacy," Fikri explained.

Access to sanitary products in public spaces is not supported by a fast and easily reachable system.

— Muhammad Fikri KusumadinataExplaining the motivation behind developing the Sanitary On The Go (SOTG) vending machine.

The SOTG machine utilizes Internet of Things (IoT) integration, allowing users to select and purchase pads via a touchscreen interface using cashless payment methods. The system is designed for speed and simplicity. "The process is made simple so users can obtain products quickly," said Fikri, a student from the Department of Electrical Automation Engineering.

Through SOTG, we present a system that simplifies the purchase of sanitary products without compromising privacy.

— Muhammad Fikri KusumadinataDescribing the core benefit of the SOTG system for users.

Technically, the system connects user interfaces, local servers, cloud services, and physical hardware. This interconnected architecture enables real-time monitoring of transaction data, inventory levels, and machine status remotely. Testing has shown stable performance, with product dispensing occurring within seconds and consistent data communication between subsystems with low latency.

Fikri sees broad potential for SOTG in educational institutions, public facilities, and office environments, particularly in high-traffic areas. The innovation also aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). The team hopes to further develop SOTG for wider adaptive application.

The process is made simple so users can obtain products quickly.

— Muhammad Fikri KusumadinataHighlighting the user-friendly design of the SOTG vending machine.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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