Bandar Lampung, IDN Times – The benefits of the Rice ATM made by students and lecturers of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Lampung, can finally be felt by the community.
Since the end of 2022, this Rice ATM has been accepted by a mosque in TanjungHappy District, Bandar Lampung City. An Electrical Engineering lecturer and one of the Unila Rice ATM manufacturing team, Sri Ratna said that since November 2022 the ATM has been handed over to the mosque.
“The initial construction will be around July or August 2022. Apart from being a student thesis, this is also one of our department’s lecturer community service programs and the target is indeed housing that needs rice assistance,” said Sri Ratna, Thursday (19/1/2023 ).
1. The beginning of the Rice ATM idea
Sri Ratna explained, at first the Unila lecturer team made this rice ATM when they saw that some people had feelings of reluctance or embarrassment to publicly ask for rice assistance. So a tool was made so they could receive help without anyone knowing.
“Sometimes there are those who don’t want to be seen when they receive rice assistance. There are also those who are ashamed to give alms when people see them. As the saying goes ‘when the right hand gives, don’t let the left hand know’. So we plan to make rice ATMs that are effective and economical,” he said.
He explained that the working system of the Rice ATM is similar to an ordinary ATM. The recipient must have a special tab card and the rice will immediately come out as soon as it is tabbed into the machine.
With this Rice ATM, people can freely take rice assistance, which is their portion. For example, it can be taken at dawn or at night.
2. Periodic tap card system so it can’t be reused
Lecturers and students provide training on rice ATM machines. (IDN Times/special)Even if there was cheating, for example taking rice many times a day, Sri Ratna said that would not be possible. This is because the tab card for taking rice is arranged in such a way that it can only be taken periodically.
“For example, the tab card that day. Then his friend wanted to take rice using the same card and couldn’t. Because the machine has been arranged according to the needs of each beneficiary,” he added.
He explained that the machine settings were divided into two, namely setting the day and setting the amount of rice. For example, it can only be taken per day, per three days, or per week. While the amount of rice is 1 kilogram or 2.5 kilograms.
“For example, if you want 1 kilo, it means per day. Or 2.5 kilos per three days. It depends on the needs of the mosque, how it will be arranged,” he said.
3. The manufacturing cost is only around IDR 1 million-IDR 5 million
budget illustration (IDN Times/Aditya Pratama) Meanwhile, the engine capacity is also divided into two, namely 30 kilograms and 50 kilograms. He said the Rice ATM that was given to the community in TanjungHappy was a machine with a size of 30 kilograms.
“But apart from tools, actually our goal is also training. So we train the youths there to make this tool with sober raw materials so that it is more affordable. For example, if they have plywood, let’s use it, the important thing is the electronic components,” he explained.
He explained that for the manufacture of a machine with a capacity of 50 kilograms and an outer material in the form of acrylic which is indeed thick but light enough, a budget of around IDR 5 million could be spent.
“When we tried it yesterday, only 1 million were finished. We use cheap materials. It means that the funds to make it are relative. It depends on the material we use,” he said.
4. If there are people who want to receive manufacturing training, they can come directly to Unila
University Rectorate. (IDN Times/Rohmah Mustaurida).Sri Ratna conveyed that the time to work on this ATM machine was only 1 week. It includes testing and trial errors. There are even mosques in other districts that have also ordered equipment and training.
“That’s why we actually want to provide training if there are mosque youth who want to learn how to do this. If there are community leaders who want to learn, they can come directly to me Sri Ratna or Mr. Komarudin in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Unila,” he said.
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