Cacao Beans Moisture Tester Using Coplanar Capacitance Sensor

Postharvest processing of cacao beans, particularly fermentation and drying, is a crucial aspect that demands attention to ensure the quality of the cacao. The drying process aims to achieve the optimal moisture content in the beans, which is essential for developing their flavor and maintaining their quality during storage. However, manually identifying the moisture content of the beans using sensory or visual inspection is time-consuming and less precise. To address this challenge, a cacao beans moisture content tester was developed using a coplanar capacitance sensor. The sensor generates voltage, which is then converted into moisture content readings by an Arduino UNO. The device features an LCD display to show the recorded moisture content and a Bluetooth module for storing the data in a GUI created with MATLAB. To validate the accuracy of the device, a paired t-test was conducted, comparing it to the traditional oven-drying method. The statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between the two methods, confirming the reliability of the developed system. Consequently, all the objectives of the study were achieved, and researchers successfully measured the moisture content of cacao beans in real-time and with high accuracy.