THESIS DEFENSE SCRIPT
Arduino-Based Temperature & Humidity Monitoring System for Poultry Egg
Incubators
Integrative Programming | Research Proposal Defense
Speaker Assignments:
NANO, Maria Edhelene —
LOPECILLO, Julius S. —
MANGAO, Mark S. —
SPEAKER: NANO, Maria Edhelene | Slides 1-8
SLIDE 1 — TITLE SLIDE
Good morning, everyone. We are presenting our research proposal for Integrative
Programming. Our study is titled "Arduino-Based Temperature and Humidity Monitoring
System for Poultry Egg Incubators." I am Maria Edhelene Nano, and together with my
groupmates Julius Lopecillo and Mark Mangao, we hope to present to you our proposed
system that aims to improve the way poultry farmers manage their egg incubation process.
Thank you for giving us this opportunity to defend our work.
NOTE: Bow slightly and smile. Gesture toward your groupmates when introducing them.
SLIDE 2 — BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY - Part 1
To give you some context, poultry farms are agricultural operations that raise chickens,
ducks, quail, turkeys, and other birds primarily for meat or egg production. According to
Garrigus in 2026, poultry farming is a significant source of livelihood in many rural
communities across the Philippines, including our own locality in Dumingag, Zamboanga del
Sur.
SLIDE 3 — BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY - Part 2
Over the years, poultry farming has evolved from simple backyard operations into larger-
scale hatcheries. However, in places like Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur, many poultry
farmers still rely on manual and outdated methods. Their incubators often use only basic
thermostats without any automated control or monitoring system, making the incubation
process prone to human error, inconsistency, and egg loss.
SLIDE 4 — BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY - Part 3
With the advancement of technology, microcontroller-based systems have proven to be
more efficient and accurate in monitoring environmental conditions. This project specifically
aims to measure temperature and real-time humidity levels inside an egg incubator using an
Arduino Uno microcontroller paired with a DHT22 sensor, providing a more reliable and
affordable alternative to traditional manual monitoring methods.
SLIDE 5 — PROJECT CONTEXT - Opening
This brings us to our Project Context, which explains the specific situation that motivated us
to develop this system and the components we are proposing to address the problem.
NOTE: Brief pause. Click to the next slide.
SLIDE 6 — PROJECT CONTEXT - The Problem
Currently, most poultry farmers in our area use only basic thermometers and hygrometers to
manually check the conditions inside their incubators. This approach is time-consuming,
unreliable, and leaves eggs vulnerable to temperature and humidity fluctuations, especially
during nighttime when no one is present. To address this, our proposed solution centers on
using the Arduino Uno microcontroller as the core processing unit, combined with the
DHT22 sensor for precise and accurate measurement of both temperature and humidity.
SLIDE 7 — PROJECT CONTEXT - Proposed Solution
Our complete proposed solution consists of five key components. First, the Arduino Uno
serves as the brain of the entire system. Second, the DHT22 sensor provides precise
temperature and humidity readings. Third, a 16 by 2 LCD display shows the readings in real
time so the farmer can easily check the current conditions at a glance. Fourth, a buzzer
alarm automatically alerts the farmer whenever the temperature or humidity falls outside the
safe range. And fifth, an SD card module logs all the data continuously for monitoring and
future analysis. Together, these components form a complete automated incubator
monitoring system.
SLIDE 8 — OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY - Part 1 (Objectives 1-3)
Our study has six specific objectives. First, to control the temperature and humidity of the
incubator automatically, reducing the need for manual intervention. Second, to incorporate a
buzzer alarm system that provides audio notifications whenever environmental conditions
inside the incubator reach a critical level. And third, to show real-time temperature and
humidity readings through a 16 by 2 LCD display so that farmers can instantly see the
current status of their incubator. I will now pass the discussion to my groupmate, Julius
Lopecillo, who will continue with the remaining objectives and the rest of the presentation.
NOTE: Look at Julius and gesture toward him as you hand over.
SPEAKER: LOPECILLO, Julius S. | Slides 9-16
SLIDE 9 — OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY - Part 2 (Objectives 4-6)
Thank you, Edhelene. Continuing with our remaining objectives. Fourth, to evaluate the
performance and accuracy of the developed system in maintaining optimal incubation
conditions for the eggs. Fifth, to integrate a relay module that automatically activates or
deactivates the heating element and fan when temperature or humidity exceeds or falls
below the preset thresholds. And sixth, to generate data logs stored in the SD card for
monitoring purposes and future analysis, which also serves as the database feature of our
system.
SLIDE 10 — SCOPE AND LIMITATION - Opening
Next, let us discuss the Scope and Limitation of our study.
NOTE: Brief pause. Click to advance to the next slide.
SLIDE 11 — SCOPE AND LIMITATION - Details
In terms of scope, our system is designed to monitor and maintain incubation conditions
specifically for chicken, duck, and quail eggs. It makes use of the DHT22 sensor, 16 by 2
LCD display, buzzer alarm, heating element, and cooling fan, all connected to the Arduino
Uno microcontroller. The system also records all sensor data logs to an SD card for
monitoring and reporting purposes. However, our study has several limitations. It does not
cover exotic or uncommon poultry species. It does not include an IoT or mobile interface,
meaning there is currently no remote monitoring capability. Additionally, the system does not
provide a full closed-loop automatic control beyond the relay switching based on preset
thresholds. These are areas we recognize as potential improvements for future research
and development.
SLIDE 12 — SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY - Opening
Now let us discuss the significance of our study.
NOTE: Brief pause. Click to advance.
SLIDE 13 — SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY - Details
Our study is significant to three key groups. For poultry farmers, our system minimizes labor
costs and mitigates egg loss by providing precise automated environmental control,
removing the dependency on manual and unreliable checking methods. For our academic
institution, this project validates the practical application of engineering and programming in
solving real-world agricultural problems, demonstrating that student-developed technology
can have a meaningful impact in the community. And for government and agricultural
agencies, our system provides a scalable and low-cost model that can be replicated across
different regions to enhance food security and support the modernization of national poultry
production.
SLIDE 14 — DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY - Opening
We will now move on to our Design and Methodology.
NOTE: Brief pause. Click to advance.
SLIDE 15 — DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY - Details
For our system development approach, we used the Prototyping Model. This model follows
an iterative process of build, test, and rework, which allowed us to continuously improve the
system based on feedback from actual poultry farmers. Our requirements were gathered
through interviews with local farmers as well as a Technology Acceptance Model, or TAM,
questionnaire to assess the usability and acceptability of our proposed system. The quick
design phase then established a clear sensor-to-logic-to-actuator flow, along with specific
parameter rules that define when the system should trigger its control responses and
alarms.
SLIDE 16 — QUICK DESIGN - Opening
This brings us to our Quick Design, which provides a visual overview of how the entire
system works. I will now pass the presentation to our third member, Mark Mangao, who will
walk you through the system flowchart, the database feature, and our conclusion.
NOTE: Gesture toward Mark and smile as you hand over.
SPEAKER: MANGAO, Mark S. | Slides 17-23
SLIDE 17 — QUICK DESIGN - System Flowchart
Thank you, Julius. Let me walk you through our system flowchart. The process begins when
the system starts up. The Arduino then continuously reads the temperature and humidity
values from the DHT22 sensor. If the temperature falls below 37 degrees Celsius and the
humidity exceeds 60 percent, the system automatically turns on the incandescent light to
raise the temperature inside the incubator. If the conditions are already within the
acceptable range, the incandescent light stays off. Whenever the conditions go out of the
safe range, the buzzer alarm also sounds to alert the farmer immediately. Every sensor
reading, regardless of whether it is within range or not, is automatically recorded into the
database through the SD card module. This monitoring loop continues to repeat indefinitely
until the system is manually stopped.
SLIDE 18 — QUICK DESIGN - Circuit Diagram / System Setup
This slide shows the physical layout and wiring diagram of our proposed system. You can
see how all the components are connected to the Arduino Uno. The DHT22 sensor feeds
data to the Arduino. The relay module is wired to control both the heating element and the
cooling fan based on the control logic in the program. The LCD display is connected via an
I2C interface to show live readings. The buzzer is connected to a digital output pin and
triggers the alarm. And the SD card module is connected through the SPI pins of the
Arduino for data logging.
NOTE: If showing a circuit diagram, briefly point to each component as you mention it.
SLIDE 19 — DATABASE AND GENERATE REPORT
For our database and reporting feature, the system uses an SD card module to log all
sensor readings over time. The data is saved in a CSV file named INCUBATOR_LOG.csv.
Each entry in this file contains three fields: the timestamp, which records the exact date and
time of the reading; the temperature value in degrees Celsius; and the humidity value in
percent relative humidity. The system creates a new log entry every five minutes to ensure
consistent data coverage throughout the incubation period. This CSV file can be opened
directly in Microsoft Excel, where the farmer or researcher can review the full incubation
history, identify any periods when conditions were abnormal, and generate a report for post-
hatch analysis and future improvement. As shown in the sample data table on this slide, the
reading at 8:20 AM shows a temperature of 38.6 degrees Celsius, which is marked with a
warning symbol, indicating that the buzzer alarm would have triggered at that point.
SLIDE 20 — PROTOTYPE AND IMPLEMENTATION - Opening
Next, let us look at our Prototype and Implementation.
NOTE: Brief pause. Click to advance.
SLIDE 21 — PROTOTYPE AND IMPLEMENTATION - Details
Our prototype was physically assembled based on the preliminary design we discussed. All
the hardware components were wired to the Arduino Uno board, and the source code was
written, tested, and uploaded using the Arduino IDE. The relay module successfully handles
the switching of the heating element and the cooling fan. The LCD screen displays live
temperature and humidity readings continuously. And the SD card module records all the
data logs automatically in the background. The assembled prototype was able to
demonstrate all the core functionalities we set out to achieve in this study.
SLIDE 22 — CONCLUSION
To wrap up our presentation, our study achieved four key outcomes. First, automated
monitoring: our system successfully replaces manual checking with real-time DHT22
sensing, eliminating the trial-and-error adjustments that traditional methods depend on.
Second, optimal incubation: the relay module automatically controls the heating elements
and fans, keeping both temperature and humidity within the safe thresholds for chicken,
duck, and quail eggs. Third, alerts and data logging: the buzzer alarm immediately notifies
the farmer of any critical conditions, while the SD card continuously logs all readings for
post-hatch analysis and improvement. And fourth, community impact: this affordable and
practical system directly addresses the real needs of poultry farmers in Dumingag,
Zamboanga del Sur, helping reduce their labor costs and increase their hatch success rates.
SLIDE 23 — THANK YOU / Q&A
That concludes our research proposal presentation. On behalf of our group, myself Mark
Mangao, Julius Lopecillo, and Maria Edhelene Nano, we would like to sincerely thank our
panel and our audience for your valuable time and attention. We are now open for questions
and we will do our best to answer anything you may ask about our proposed system.
NOTE: All three members bow respectfully. Stand confidently. All members should be ready to
answer questions.
POSSIBLE PANEL QUESTIONS & SUGGESTED ANSWERS
Q: Why did you choose Arduino Uno over other microcontrollers?
A: Arduino Uno is affordable, widely available, and easy to program with sufficient pins and
processing power for our system. It is very well-documented, making it ideal for academic
projects with limited resources.
Q: Why DHT22 and not DHT11?
A: The DHT22 offers significantly higher accuracy at plus or minus 0.5 degrees Celsius for
temperature and plus or minus 2 percent for humidity, compared to DHT11 which has plus
or minus 2 degrees Celsius accuracy. For egg incubation, precision is critical so we chose
the DHT22.
Q: What happens if the SD card is full or accidentally removed?
A: The monitoring, control, and alarm functions will continue to operate normally because
they are independent of the SD card. However, no new data will be saved until the card is
replaced or space is freed up.
Q: Why did you not add WiFi or a mobile app for remote monitoring?
A: Adding WiFi is an excellent suggestion and we have noted it as a future enhancement of
our system. For this phase, we focused on affordability and simplicity for small-scale farmers
in Dumingag who may not have reliable internet access.
Q: How accurate is your system overall?
A: The DHT22 sensor has a temperature accuracy of plus or minus 0.5 degrees Celsius and
a humidity accuracy of plus or minus 2 percent RH. These margins are well within
acceptable levels for poultry egg incubation.
Q: What are the ideal temperature and humidity ranges for incubation?
A: The ideal temperature range is 37.5 to 38.5 degrees Celsius, and the relative humidity
should be maintained between 50 and 65 percent during incubation, and raised to around
70 to 80 percent during the hatching phase.
Q: What is the significance of using the Prototyping Model?
A: The Prototyping Model allowed us to continuously improve our system through iterative
testing and farmer feedback. This was more appropriate than a linear model like Waterfall
because hardware systems often require adjustments after initial assembly and testing.