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Prototype drone carrying an AI-powered thermal scanner
 

Harnessing the power of technology to combat the spread of COVID-19, the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) unveiled six technologies that are currently being developed by Filipino innovators.

Ranging from nano-enhanced sanitizers to mobile AI-powered thermal scanners, these technologies are DOST’s quick response to the ongoing pandemic that has endangered the lives of many.

DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara lauded the Filipino researchers who came up with these timely innovations.

“We thank our Filipino researchers for making change happen through these technologies that we are working on.  We hope to see them soonest in the hands of our frontliners and the general public who is greatly affected by COVID19,” she said.

PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit expressed support to Filipino researchers who will be generating these technologies, hailing their immediate response to the need.

“As leader and partner in enabling innovations in the country, DOST-PCIEERD will guide our researchers in providing solutions to the challenges on hand.  We will maximize the use of our technologies to support our frontliners and help in our fight against COVID19,” he said.

The six technologies that are now being developed are:

1. Mobile AI-enabled Thermal Scanners - In partnership with Orbital Exploration (OrbitX) Technologies, six (6) artificial-intelligence-powered thermal scanners mounted on drones will be produced initially to easily scan and pinpoint people with high body temperature. These drones provide real-time data transmission, are equipped with GPS, and has a 2-km range for communication. This technology will shorten the queuing of people and minimize contact between individuals in checkpoints. Initially, six (6) units will be produced for testing and deployment in selected local government units (LGUs).

2. Nanotechnology-enhanced Sanitizers - The Central Luzon State University (CLSU) Nanotech Laboratory produced a nanotechnology-enhanced ethyl alcohol and hand sanitizer that contains zinc oxide nanoparticles infused with turmeric extract, a mixture proven that is effective against H1N1 influenza and SARS viruses—which are both coronaviruses. Thus, applying such to surfaces could be effective in deterring the spread of COVID-19. The laboratory is also developing washable mask using nanofiber as a 'filter.’

 
3. 3D-printed face shields - The Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMCEN) and the Additive Manufacturing Research Laboratory (AMREL) of the Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) are currently producing 3D-printed face shields for health workers.
 
4. Reusable face masks – The Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI) is working on the production of 500,000 reusable and washable (RW) face masks for up to 50 times.
 
5.Big Data Analytics for Quarantine Policies - The De La Salle University (DLSU) is currently pursuing big data analytics and transportation network analysis to support traffic management during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period. The simulation results showed relative intensities of incoming traffic to Metro Manila at various entry points. This will be of use for those managing the checkpoints (PNP and AFP) in the periphery of Metro Manila.
 
6. Pinoy Animation Laban sa COVID19 - In coordination with the Toon City Academy (TCA) six (6) infomercials on several COVID-19 infographics for public health awareness will be produced. Four now are already being aired in mainstream and social media and two more will be aired soon.  Topics covered include proper hygiene, community quarantine, social distrancing and proper verification of information. TCA has ongoing Project on Original Content Development and will tap the graduates of the animation training from Dagupan City to produce the material.

 

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RAPPID-ADMATEC produced face shields for COVID-19 frontliners
 

To support frontline health workers in their battle to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is currently producing 3D-printed face shield frames for distribution to the Philippine General Hospital, and will be extended to other hospitals.

Operating for 24 hours since March 23, the team of Engr. Fred P. Liza, project leader of the Research on Advanced Prototyping for Product Innovation and Development using Additive Manufacturing Technologies (RAPPID-ADMATEC), started printing frames with an initial target of 1000 pieces for the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).

“We are humbled by the opportunity to help in the urgent need of face shields, to cease the spread of this contagious disease. It will protect the face whenever a patient coughs or sneezes. Currently, we can print 10 frames every 1.5 hours,” says Engr. Liza.

The design for the 3D-printed frames will be optimized for further reduction of time during the production process.

3D printing of RAPPID-ADMATEC face shield frames for use of health workers
 

“Currently, we are looking for ways to hasten production, such as using a larger nozzle size and modifying our printing parameters. Additional 3D printers are being reconfigured to augment our production volume. We are also looking into fabricating molds through DOST – Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) and our technology partner, particularly Omnifab, for faster production of these frames using injection molding. Our goal is to deliver to the Philippine General Hospital every week via courier service,” he added.

RAPPID-ADMATEC is one of the projects under Advanced Additive Manufacturing R&D Program (AMCen), being supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and is monitored by DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD). It focuses on advanced prototyping and speeds up its process by reducing the time it takes to fabricate components and products.

Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara lauded the group for going the extra mile and contributing to the needs of our frontliners in battling COVID-19. 

"As we make change happen through research and development, we maximize our assets to do our part in fighting COVID-19 with innovative solutions. We support our health workers with these visor shields that are products of our R&D facility," she said. 

DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit commended the group for their dedication during the enhanced community quarantine period. 

“As strong believer and willing partner in enabling innovation, we will continue to support endeavors like this to meet the urgent needs of the public especially during this outbreak,” he said.
 
 
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Ribbon Cutting of LCFMNN led by PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, In-coming USC President Fr. Narciso A. Cellan, Jr., SVD, D. Comm., and Undersecretary for R&D Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara
 

On Tuesday (March 10), the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) and the University of San Carlos (USC) unveiled the “USC Laboratory of Computational Functional Materials, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (LCFMNN)”, the first computational science laboratory in Visayas.

The 36.49 square meter lab will house research facilities and workstations with high-performance computers capable of processing massive parallel and large-scale simulations for researches on nanotechnology, nanoscience, and materials science.

“The lab will enable researchers in the Visayan Peninsula to fortify and be guided in their research plans on photovoltaics and other energy-harvesting devices before the actual costly material experimentation, synthesis, and device fabrication process,” said Dr. Felixberto Buot, LCFMNN project leader.

Through these facilities, USC students and other researchers can be easily trained and continuously mentored on computational techniques and tools for materials development research. With that, the lab is envisioned to become a venue for solidifying the academe-industry research network for materials computation and development.

“In advanced countries, scientific computing has become an important solution for research problems in energy harvesting, energy conversion, and energy storage devices, because it allows researchers to do simulations instead of actual experiments that are somehow impossible to do using traditional approaches, or hazardous and too expensive to be conducted in the laboratory,” added Buot.

LCFMNN is a research facility that houses high-performance computers capable of processing massive parallel and large-scale simulations for researches on nanotechnology, nanoscience, and materials science.
 

The cutting-edge lab was established through the Institution Development Program (IDP) of DOST-PCIEERD, one of DOST’s sectoral planning councils. The IDP strengthens research and development capabilities of institutions by providing financial assistance for the establishment or upgrading of laboratories and research institutions.

“Computational modeling and simulation now play a significant role in the advancement of science, allowing researchers to easily find solutions to complex scientific problems. DOST-PCIEERD fully believes that the LCFMNN can take the Philippines at the forefront of software engineering and development, visualization science, computational materials science, energy-harvesting device R&D, and big data analytics,” said DOST-PCIEERD executive director Dr. Enrico Paringit.
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DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña leads the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly Installed smart groundwater monitoring system
 

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) on Monday launched a smart groundwater monitoring station in Iloilo City that has sensors for automated, real-time monitoring of its supply.

With funding support from the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) and the DOST - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD), researchers from  ADMU, established a groundwater management plan and monitoring system for 10 water-critical cities in the Philippines, including Iloilo and Zamboanga.

Under this project, monitoring wells and stations were built— four are in Zamboanga City, four (4) monitoring system for Iloilo, and 10 are successfully installed in Metro Manila, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, and Bukidnon. Another 8 sensors will be installed in selected areas nationwide within the year.

“Today marks a significant event as we officially present the locally developed cost-effective system for water wells monitoring here in IloIlo City, installed in Pavia National High School and in Barangay Consolacion, San Miguel. Through these facilities, automated and real-time monitoring of groundwater reservoirs consisting of various sensors, data logging, and telemetry equipment to measure water’s quantity and quality can be done,” said DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña.

 
A closer look at the monitoring system. It has a sensor control box that measures the groundwater’s pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, and depth.
 

The data gathered from this monitoring system will serve as a decision-support tool for NWRB towards effective management of groundwater reservoir.

These data can also be accessed through the ThingSpeak mobile application and admuwater.com web portal. This is a platform service that uses Internet of Things (IoT) analytics to provide instant and advanced data analysis—bringing daily effective management of groundwater reservoirs at each Filipinos’ fingertips.

In addition to this, ADMU, NERC-British Geological Survey and DOST, under the Philippine Groundwater Outllook (PhiGO) project, organized a 2-day stakeholders’ workshop to strengthen partnership and gather local knowledge and understand the current issues and problems in managing water resources. The said project is one of the four funded under the PH-UK Newton Agham Joint Cooperation Program.

 

The PhiGO team
 

The researchers behind PhiGO aim to deliver consistent, accessible, and transferable assessments of climate and population change on regional groundwater resources.

Iloilo is one of the nine key cities identified in 1998 by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in their study detailing the country’s water resources management. These cities were deemed plagued with water constraints and are envisioned to face these problems in the future.

Although the country is endowed with abundant water resources, Filipinos continue to face threats of resource scarcity, especially with groundwater as its renewability is limited and there are issues on its storage and management. It is essential that these issues be addressed as groundwater supplies drinking water, helps grow plants for food, and is also an important input to many industrial processes.

Iloilo, a developing smart city, has started encountering groundwater supply shortages. The city has already been tapping 93% of its supply, and over the years, has had low and unpredictable recharge. 

The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) confirmed that Iloilo is one of the identified critical areas in the country in terms of groundwater extraction that needs immediate rehabilitation.