A team of UGM students has developed an electronic tongue (E-Tongue) with machine learning technology to detect mineral and heavy metal content in drinking water.
This technology can help the public identify the quality and safety of drinking water, preventing health risks from consuming contaminated water.
The team comprises Inna Sri Utami (Physics), Alfian Daffa Baihaqi (Biomedical Engineering), Edwin Suryalaksana Wijaya (Physics), and Fadhya Chania (Chemistry) under the guidance of Dr. Ahmad Kusumaatmaja.
“Water is a basic human need. This innovation is expected to provide an effective solution for detecting the mineral and heavy metal content in drinking water to ensure its safety for consumption,” said Inna Utami.
E-Tongue is a device designed to mimic the human tongue’s ability to detect taste, initially developed by the Material Physics and Instrumentation Laboratory in the Department of Physics at UGM.
In its development, this technology has been adapted to detect chemical compounds in liquids, including drinking water.
This device combines sensitive sensors and machine learning technology to quickly and accurately recognize water minerals and heavy metal content.
“Early detection of harmful substances in water can help prevent cancer caused by drinking water contaminated with heavy metals,” Utami added.
This research was conducted for the Student Creativity Program in Exact Sciences Research, funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
According to the students, the development of E-Tongue represents a significant step in ensuring that the public has access to safe drinking water that is free from dangerous contaminants.
They hope this innovation can serve as a foundation for further research related to water quality monitoring. Future challenges include widely implementing this technology, ensuring accessibility, and supporting relevant regulations.
“It is hoped that this technology can be implemented soon to enhance water quality monitoring and positively impact the community,” Utami stated.
Author: The UGM E-Tongue Research Team
Editor: Gloria