SugaProof is a low-cost, portable monitoring device designed to assist sugarcane farmers in assessing and recording sugarcane freshness after harvesting. The device addresses a practical problem in the sugar industry: farmers may not always have an easy method of determining how environmental conditions and the time elapsed after harvesting affect cane freshness. SugaProof provides a simple electronic monitoring system that collects relevant parameters, processes the measurements, and produces a digital report that can be viewed on a smartphone.

The device is built around an ESP32 microcontroller, which acts as the main processing and control unit. When the user presses the Start button, the ESP32 begins a monitoring session and records sensor measurements at defined intervals. A DHT22 temperature and humidity sensor measures the surrounding temperature and relative humidity. These environmental factors are important because heat and moisture conditions can influence the rate at which harvested sugarcane deteriorates.

An MQ135 gas sensor is also integrated into the device. Its gas or air-quality response is used by the prototype to monitor changes associated with gaseous emissions from the sugarcane and provide information related to the estimated rate of carbon dioxide emissions. This information is combined with the environmental measurements to support the calculation of a freshness score out of 100. A higher score represents fresher sugarcane, while a reduction in the score indicates increasing deterioration over the monitored period.

A real-time clock (RTC) module allows SugaProof to maintain accurate timing during each test. This enables the device to record when monitoring begins, track the total elapsed time, and associate sensor measurements with their respective measurement times. The timing information is important for analysing how rapidly the freshness condition changes after harvest.

The device contains red, yellow, and green LED indicators, which provide immediate visual feedback to the user. These indicators allow farmers to obtain a quick understanding of the monitored condition without needing to interpret detailed sensor data. The device also includes separate Start and Off controls, making the monitoring procedure straightforward for users with limited technical experience.

At the end of the monitoring session, SugaProof uses the ESP32's wireless communication capability to transfer the recorded information to a smartphone. The prototype is designed to generate a digital report containing the date, starting and ending times, temperature, humidity, total monitoring time, estimated rate of carbon dioxide emissions, and calculated freshness score. This creates a traceable record that can support decision-making and comparison between different sugarcane samples or harvesting conditions.

SugaProof is powered by a rechargeable 18650 lithium-ion battery. A TP4056 USB-C charging module allows the battery to be recharged conveniently, improving the portability and reusability of the device. The prototype has been designed to be lightweight, compact, and relatively inexpensive, with the presented bill of materials estimated at approximately FJD 25 excluding shipping.

Overall, SugaProof combines low-cost sensors, embedded processing, wireless data transfer, and digital reporting to provide farmers with a practical tool for monitoring sugarcane freshness and reducing reliance on subjective visual assessment.