NORSU's Sustainable Development Goals

Smart watering for a greener tomorrow, because every drop matters.

Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) proudly submitted to the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) our Category C5 entry: Sensor-Based Plant Watering and Monitoring System Using Arduino Featuring UPS.

Built to support tree-planting and reforestation efforts, this innovation solves the problem of inefficient manual watering by automating irrigation based on real-time soil moisture, so plants get exactly what they need, no overwatering, no underwatering. Even during power interruptions, the UPS feature keeps the system running, reliable and ready for real-world conditions.

What makes us proud: the system achieved high soil moisture detection precision (93.83% to 95.59%) and helped maintain an average moisture level of 45.8% after watering, proof that sustainability can be both smart and measurable.

This success belongs to our students and teachers.
To our student innovators who designed, built, tested, calibrated, and validated the prototype, thank you for choosing purpose-driven engineering. And to our teachers and mentors who guided the process with expertise, patience, and belief, thank you for shaping innovators who create solutions that truly serve.

Read more: [1] https://norsu.edu.ph/wuri
[2]
https://norsu.edu.ph/files/wuri/2025/SensorBased%20Plant%20Watering%20and%20Monitoring%20System%20Using%20Arduino%20Featuring%20UPS.pdf

Big innovation does not always start with big budgets, sometimes, it starts with pure creativity and purpose.

Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) proudly shared our World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) submission under Category C1: Non-Destructive Surface Crack Detection Using Fluorescent Dye and Baby Powder as an Improvised Dye Penetrant Test.

This mini-research proves that engineering safety can be made more accessible. Instead of costly commercial NDT kits, the team developed a low-cost alternative using household materials like red food coloring, fluorescent dye, alcohol, and baby powder to detect early surface cracks on metal. After repeated trials on different metal surfaces and inspections under both natural light and UV light, the improvised method showed high visibility of surface flaws, especially on smoother surfaces. The total material cost was only ₱159.

This is innovation with impact, helping schools, small workshops, and resource-limited industries gain a practical way to do quality checks, because safety should never be for those who can afford it.

To our hardworking students and dedicated teachers and mentors, thank you for making this project successful. Your grit in testing, refining techniques, and documenting results shows what NORSU stands for, resourceful minds creating real solutions.

Read more: [1] https://norsu.edu.ph/wuri
[2]https://norsu.edu.ph/files/wuri/2025/NonDestructive%20Surface%20Crack%20Detection%20Using%20Fluorescent%20Dye%20And%20Baby%20Powder%20As%20An%20Improvised%20Dye%20Penetrant%20Test.pdf

Math should not feel like magic, it should feel understandable.

We proudly shared our World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) submission: A Numerical Methods Solver for Large-Scale Linear Systems using Android Studio featuring Step-by-Step Visualization, an Android app that does not just give answers, but shows the whole solution journey, step by step.

Built to support engineering learners, the app can solve up to 10 linear equations using multiple methods, including Cramer’s Rule, Gaussian and Gauss Jordan Elimination, and Jacobi and Gauss Seidel, making complex numerical methods clearer, more interactive, and more student-friendly. In pilot testing with 23 engineering students, the tool achieved 100 percent task completion, with high ratings for user-friendliness (M=4.61/5.00) and clarity of steps (M=4.09/5.00).

This milestone is powered by people, not just code.
To our students who designed, programmed, tested, and refined every detail, thank you for turning hard concepts into an accessible learning experience. And to our teachers and mentors who guided the process with expertise and patience, thank you for shaping innovators who build with purpose.

Read more: [1] https://norsu.edu.ph/wuri
[2]
https://norsu.edu.ph/files/wuri/2025/A%20Numerical%20Methods%20Solver%20for%20Largescale%20Linear%20Systems%20using%20Android%20Studio%20featuring%20Step-byStep%20Visualization.pdf

From biowaste to breakthrough, green engineering with real-world impact.

Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) proudly presented our World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) submission: Corrosion Inhibition Performance and Stability Assessment of a Guava and Eggshell Composite Coating for Mild Steel in Geothermal Conditions.

Corrosion in geothermal environments is a serious challenge. High heat, minerals, and acidity can rapidly destroy metal components. Instead of relying on costly, synthetic, and harmful chemical inhibitors, our team explored a natural, low-cost, eco-friendly coating made from guava leaf extract and eggshell powder, with cornstarch as a biodegradable binder.

Results showed strong promise: the coated mild steel samples achieved an average corrosion inhibition efficiency of 48.19% after immersion testing. This means waste materials that are often discarded can actually become part of a sustainable solution for industries like geothermal energy.

We also stayed honest about the next step: the coating liquefied around 10 days after preparation, highlighting the need to improve shelf stability through better binders and formulation upgrades, because innovation is not just about success but about continuous improvement.

To our Geothermal Engineering students who carried this project through hands-on lab work, testing, and analysis, and to our teachers and mentors who guided the research with expertise and heart, thank you for making this innovation possible. This is proof that when students and educators work together, we can turn local resources into global solutions.

Read more: [1] https://norsu.edu.ph/wuri
[2]
https://norsu.edu.ph/files/wuri/2025/Corrosion%20Inhibition%20Performance%20and%20Stability%20Assessment%20of%20a%20GuavaEggshell%20Composite%20Coating%20for%20Mild%20Steel%20in%20Geothermal%20Conditions.pdf

Power on the road turned into clean energy.

Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) proudly presented our World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) submission: Motorcycle-Mounted Wind Turbine Phone Charger, a prototype that transforms wind from a moving motorcycle into usable power for phone charging, designed especially for delivery riders and commuters who cannot always rely on charging stations or stable electricity.

Built with a 12V DC motor, mini fan blades (turbine), capacitor, and USB connector, this innovation harnesses wind-induced rotation to generate electricity, then stabilizes output for charging. After multiple trials and real testing, the team improved the design further by integrating a hybrid battery system to support charging even when wind conditions are inconsistent.

This is the kind of innovation we believe in: simple, practical, sustainable, and made for real people, for riders who keep communities moving every day.

To our students who persisted through failed attempts, recalibration, and redesigns, thank you for proving that true engineering is built on courage and consistency. And to our teachers and mentors who guided every step with patience, expertise, and heart, thank you for shaping innovators who create solutions that matter.

Read more: [1] https://norsu.edu.ph/wuri
[2]
https://norsu.edu.ph/files/wuri/2025/MotorcycleMounted%20Wind%20Turbine%20Phone%20Charger.pdf

Hydrate. Cool down. Keep going, sustainably.

Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) proudly shared our World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) submission: A Portable Water Bottle Integrated with a Solar-Rechargeable Mini Fan. Designed for hot days, outdoor work, commuting, and adventures, this prototype combines clean energy and comfort, a water bottle paired with a solar-powered mini fan to help users stay refreshed while reducing reliance on disposable batteries.

What makes it exciting? It features three fan levels (low, medium, high) for different heat conditions, and it can recharge through solar energy (best with full sun exposure). It is made with cost-effective components and built with portability in mind, even while walking or climbing stairs. This is innovation that meets people where they are, especially in places where power access is limited.

To our brilliant students who brought the concept to life through hands-on design and testing, and to our dedicated teachers and mentors who guided every step, thank you for proving that purpose-driven research can create real solutions for real life.

Read more: [1] https://norsu.edu.ph/wuri
[2]
https://norsu.edu.ph/files/wuri/2025/A%20Portable%20Water%20Bottle%20Integrated%20with%20a%20Solar-Rechargeable%20Mini%20Fan.pdf

Growing smarter. Growing greener. Growing the future.

Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) proudly submitted our program to the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI): Advances in Greenhouse: Provision of Nutrients for Better Plant Growth.

This innovation highlights a smart greenhouse system that uses advanced sensors, automation, and precision agriculture to monitor and control environmental conditions, soil nutrients, pH levels, and irrigation in real time, creating the best possible conditions for plant growth while reducing manual labor and improving efficiency. Our work also emphasizes sustainable farming by optimizing nutrient management and reducing waste in greenhouse operations.

What makes this truly meaningful is the people behind it.
To our students who poured their time into designing, building, testing, coding, and refining the system, you turned concepts into something tangible, and to our teachers and mentors who guided the team with patience, expertise, and relentless encouragement, this success is yours, too.

Read more: [1] https://norsu.edu.ph/wuri
[2]
https://norsu.edu.ph/files/wuri/2025/Advances%20in%20Greenhouse_%20Provision%20of%20Nutrients%20for%20Better%20Plant%20Growth.pdf

Innovation that protects lives, because safety should never depend on Wi-Fi.

We proudly shared our World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) submission: “Development of a Hybrid SMS-Controlled Power Outlet with Integrated Smoke Detection and Temperature Monitoring Using ESP32.”

This project answers a real and urgent need: unattended appliances, overheating, and fire risks, especially in areas with limited internet connectivity. Using an ESP32, GSM/SMS control, and built-in smoke and temperature sensors, the outlet can be turned ON/OFF via text while also sending real-time alerts and enabling automatic power cut-off when danger is detected. Practical, low-cost (around ₱1,360 for the prototype), and designed for communities where SMS is more reliable than data.

This is what purpose-driven innovation looks like: not just smart tech but smart protection for homes, offices, and underserved communities.

Huge recognition to our student researchers and team members who built, tested, and refined the prototype, and to our teachers and mentors who guided every step with expertise, patience, and belief in what young innovators can do. This success is shared, because it was built through teamwork.

Read more: [1] https://norsu.edu.ph/wuri
[2]
https://norsu.edu.ph/files/wuri/2025/Development%20of%20a%20Hybrid%20SMSControlled%20Power%20Outlet%20With%20Integrated%20Smoke%20Detection%20and%20Temperature%20Monitoring%20Using%20ESP32.pdf

Smarter watering, even without Wi-Fi, because innovation should reach every farm and garden.

We proudly presented our World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) entry: Development of a Bluetooth-Based Smart Irrigation System using ESP32 for Offline Agricultural Applications. This project was created to solve a real, everyday problem in small-scale and off-grid farming, overwatering and underwatering that wastes resources and harms plant health.

Powered by an ESP32, capacitive soil moisture sensor, and a Bluetooth-controlled mobile app, the system automatically waters plants based on real-time soil readings, helping improve efficiency by 30–50% compared to traditional irrigation. It also proves that innovation can be affordable: the prototype cost is only around ₱1,441, with stable Bluetooth communication up to 8 meters and water delivery accuracy within ±1 mL.

This achievement is a win for everyone who believes in practical, community-rooted solutions.
To our students who built, tested, calibrated, and refined every detail, your creativity and grit made this possible. And to our teachers/mentors who guided the team with patience and expertise, thank you for shaping innovators who create with purpose.

Read more: [1] https://norsu.edu.ph/wuri
[2]
https://norsu.edu.ph/files/wuri/2025/Development%20of%20a%20Bluetooth%20Based%20Smart%20Irrigation%20System%20Using%20ESP32%20for%20Offline%20Agricultural%20Applications%20Manuscript.pdf

From the classroom to the fields, innovation that truly serves.

We proudly presented our World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) entry: AGRISYNC: An Integrated Digital Crop Management System, a mobile app designed to help farmers and home gardeners manage crops smarter, easier, and more sustainably. With features like planting and harvesting logs, a crop calendar, crop information (season, soil type, fertilizing, pests), and timely updates from the Department of Agriculture, AGRISYNC bridges the gap between traditional farming and the digital future.

This project is powered by the passion and brilliance of our Computer Engineering student-developers and strengthened by the guidance of our teachers and mentors who believed in the vision and pushed the team to refine, test, and improve the app for real community use. To our students and faculty, thank you for proving that when learning meets purpose, impact happens.

Read more: [1] https://norsu.edu.ph/wuri
[2]
https://norsu.edu.ph/files/wuri/2025/An%20Integrated%20Digital%20Crop%20%20Management%20System.pdf