Design and Development of an Affordable Laboratory Incubator with Data Logging

• Muhammad Danish Mujib, Ahmad Zahid Rao, Javeria Fatima, Nimra Jawed, Mehnaz Habib, Syeda Mahajabeen Mazhar, Muhammad Abul Hasan

Laboratory incubators recreate an artificial environment necessary for the microorganisms to grow. Of all other conditions, temperature plays a vital role in their cultivation; a minor change can alter the result. Before the invention of laboratory incubators, scientists developed their cultures in temporary enclosures or small rooms. With time, laboratory incubators evolve to become complex systems from a simple temperature-controlled chamber, which significantly helps scientific research in pharmaceuticals and microbiological studies.The functional prototype was developed at NED University, Pakistan, in 2024. This incubator’s temperature remains constant at 37 °C. The critical components used are a PT100 sensor for precision in temperature measurement, a relay module for driving high-power devices, NODEMCU for wireless data transfer, an LCD for data visualization, and heaters to increase the temperature. The first step was to create a working prototype, which verified the system’s performance and the results’ stability. Upon validation of the results, a final incubator with data-logging and wireless data transfer was to be built along with improvements to the functionality.The device developed would hold the required temperature to some decent degree of accuracy. Real-time data is wirelessly transmitted through WiFi and can be visualized on cell phones. The device was much more cost-effective if compared to the commercially available products.The proposed IoT-enabled, advanced laboratory incubator is a significant development in scientific instrumentation. This study found that the experimental device provides a highly accurate, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective alternative to the various commercially available options in today’s market.