Smart Coffee Roasters (Fall 2026)
The Challenge
Nepal’s specialty coffee sector is gaining global recognition, yet small and medium-scale farmers remain locked out of the roasting process by cost. The National Innovation Center (NIC) has already designed and built the mechanical side of a locally produced coffee roaster, but its current control architecture relies on an industrial PLC, HMI, analog cards, and variable frequency drives that together cost roughly 400,000 NRS. This single factor makes the machine unaffordable. The task is to eliminate that cost barrier by designing a custom electronics solution that delivers the same industrial-grade process control at a quarter of the price.
What You Will Work On
You will research, design, and prototype a custom PCB-based control system for a real, deployed coffee roaster. The system must manage two AC motors requiring speed regulation (drum and agitator), a single-phase exhaust motor, a gas igniter, and two temperature sensors. It will feature a user interface for setting roast profiles, a display for live temperature monitoring, and USB-based roast profile storage. You will progress from control architecture definition through schematic design, PCB layout, and firmware development to a working prototype with demo loads, then iterate based on real test results.
Technical Challenges
Unlike consumer electronics, this system must operate reliably in an industrial environment subject to heat, vibration, and electrical noise. Designing robust motor drive circuits, implementing fail-safe and auto-recovery firmware, managing EMI, and selecting components that survive field conditions are the core engineering challenges. The solution must also be manufacturable in Nepal using locally sourced materials and standard tools.
Our Partners
The Impact
A successful outcome reduces the control system cost to under 100,000 NRS, making locally manufactured coffee roasters commercially viable for the first time. This directly empowers Nepalese farmers to add value to their crop, reduce dependence on imported equipment, and compete in the specialty coffee market.