The innovation addresses one of the most persistent challenges in modern industry: preventing hazardous chemical spills from spreading before emergency personnel can respond. By integrating sensors, microcontrollers, and automated mechanical systems, the ASEB prototype offers a practical solution for reducing occupational accidents, environmental contamination, and operational risks.
Hazardous Chemical Spills Remain a Critical Industrial Risk
Industries such as manufacturing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and chemical processing routinely handle hazardous substances including ethanol, sulfuric acid, formalin, toluene, and carbon monoxide. While these materials are essential for production, accidental leaks or storage failures can rapidly endanger workers and pollute surrounding environments.
According to the researchers, many industrial accidents become more severe because emergency responses depend heavily on manual detection and operator intervention. Existing spill containment barriers often require manual deployment or mechanical activation, delaying efforts to isolate hazardous liquids. These limitations motivated the development of the Automatic Safety Emergency Barricade as a fully automated safety system capable of responding immediately after a spill is detected.
Combining Smart Sensors with Automated Safety Technology
The research team designed a laboratory-scale prototype measuring approximately 100 × 50 centimeters. The system integrates four primary components:
- A water level sensor that detects liquid spills.
- An Arduino microcontroller that processes sensor signals.
- A linear motor actuator that automatically closes the barricade.
- A manual push button that allows operators to control the system during emergency situations if necessary.
When liquid reaches the sensor, the Arduino immediately sends a command to the linear actuator, causing the barricade to close and isolate the affected area. This automated sequence reduces reliance on human reaction time during critical incidents.
Simple Experimental Testing Evaluated System Performance
To evaluate the ASEB system, the researchers adopted an engineering-based experimental approach using a working prototype. They measured sensor performance at liquid levels ranging from 0 to 5 centimeters, conducted 10 detection accuracy trials, and recorded barricade opening and closing times using repeated laboratory experiments.
The collected data were analyzed quantitatively by comparing sensor resistance values, calculating detection accuracy percentages, and determining average response times for the automated barricade.
Key Findings Demonstrate High Reliability
The experimental results indicate that the Automatic Safety Emergency Barricade performed consistently throughout all laboratory tests.
Key findings include:
- The water level sensor displayed a consistent inverse relationship between liquid height and electrical resistance.
- The detection system achieved 100% accuracy in identifying the presence and absence of liquid during ten consecutive tests.
- The linear actuator responded correctly every time liquid was detected.
- No false detections or activation failures occurred during the experiments.
- The barricade required an average of 40.60 seconds to close and 36.26 seconds to reopen.
The researchers explain that the slightly longer closing time results from additional mechanical resistance and liquid pressure acting against the motor while the barrier is moving into position. Even so, the response time remains suitable for emergency containment applications.
Potential Benefits for Industrial Safety
The findings suggest that integrating sensors, microcontrollers, and automated actuators into a single emergency response system can significantly improve industrial safety management.
Automatic spill containment could help industries:
- Reduce the spread of hazardous chemical leaks.
- Improve worker protection during emergency situations.
- Minimize environmental contamination.
- Reduce dependence on manual emergency responses.
- Strengthen occupational health and safety practices in high-risk industrial facilities.
Because the system operates automatically, it offers industries an opportunity to respond more rapidly than traditional manual containment methods, potentially limiting both environmental damage and financial losses.
Opportunities for Future Smart Factory Applications
Although the prototype demonstrated excellent laboratory performance, the researchers note that the study was conducted under controlled conditions using a small-scale experimental model. The system has not yet been evaluated in full-scale industrial environments where temperature, humidity, pressure, and different chemical compositions could influence performance.
Jenni Ria Rajagukguk and Wanda Kurniawan from Universitas Krisnadwipayana suggest that future development should include larger industrial prototypes, Internet of Things (IoT)-based remote monitoring, more adaptive chemical sensors, and artificial intelligence to support predictive emergency response. According to the researchers, these improvements could make automated barricade technology an important component of next-generation industrial safety systems.
Author Profile
Jenni Ria Rajagukguk is a researcher in the Master of Management Technology Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Krisnadwipayana, Jakarta, Indonesia. Her research focuses on industrial automation, engineering technology, safety systems, and smart industrial management.
Wanda Kurniawan is a researcher in the Master of Management Technology Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Krisnadwipayana, Jakarta, Indonesia. His expertise includes automation systems, microcontroller applications, industrial engineering, and technology-driven workplace safety.
Source
Rajagukguk, J. R., & Kurniawan, W. (2026). Automatic Safety Emergency Barricade. Indonesian Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Analytics (IJAEA), Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 323–338.
0 Komentar