Empowering Food Thawing with IoT: Design and Development of a Smart Fridge System

This paper presents the development of an IoT-based smart fridge system aimed at improving the efficiency of food thawing for working mothers and young professionals. Traditional thawing methods are known to be time-consuming and unreliable, compromising food safety and quality. The project seeks to provide a safe, convenient, and cost-effective solution for preparing healthy meals. The objectives include investigating and developing a customized thawing model for the smart fridge, designing the system using Arduino programming, and conducting performance analysis. The research incorporates Salvadori and Masheroni's thawing time prediction method based on different food types. The system is implemented using the Arduino Uno board and the Blynk application, with real food samples used for testing. Experimental results show a close correlation between predicted and actual thawing times for slab beef, but significant deviations are observed for cylinder fish samples. In conclusion, this paper contributes to enhancing the defrosting process, prioritizing food safety, and offering a convenient solution for individuals with busy schedules. By harnessing IoT technology, the proposed smart fridge system improves convenience and efficiency in food thawing.