Capacity Limit Measuring Tool on Children's School Bags Using Esp32 Microcontroller and
GPS Tracker
Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 6 June 2024 2799
to it in order to continue to prioritize the health of the child (Putri, Oktarin, & Setiawan,
2020).
Pain in the back of the body can be described as discomfort that is felt locally or
involves nerve roots, or both, that are localized around the thoracolumbar or lumbosacral
region (Handayani, 2023). The results of a survey conducted by the Archives of Disease
in Childhood on 1,403 students showed that as many as 61.4% of them experienced pain
in the lower back. This incident is more commonly experienced by students aged 12-17
years (Setiaji, 2020). These findings reflect that pain in the lower back is a common
complaint, especially in 12-17-year-olds, which is a period of rapid growth. Another
factor that plays a role is the habit of carrying backpacks with excessive weight when
children should not carry more than 10% of their body weight [2].
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the American
Physical Therapy Association (APTA) recommend that students do not carry backpacks
that weigh more than 15% (or are in the range of 10% to 20%) of their body weight. In
2012, this recommendation was changed to a maximum of 10% of the student's body
weight. Meanwhile, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) recommends that
children's backpack weight not exceed 5–10% of their body weight (Widyantari, Patni, &
Paramurthi, 2023).
The purpose of this study is to design and implement a capacity limit measuring
device on children's school bags that can help overcome the problem of lack of attention
to the weight of backpacks which can cause the risk of injury and pain in children's backs.
Research related to capacity limit measuring tools on children's school bags using
ESP32 microcontroller and GPS Tracker (Ratih, Saraswati, Antari, & Negara, n.d.). This
research is titled "Smart Bag Weight Detection Equipped with Loadcell Sensor with
Brainstorming Method". The tool uses an Arduino Uno with a loadcell sensor that can
load a capacity of up to 5 kg. In addition, the HX711 module converts the change of
resistance into voltage. The voltage is then converted to ground, which is displayed on
the LCD. If the weight of the bag reaches more than 10% of the user's weight, the message
"Overload" will appear on the LCD screen and a beep will be heard as a warning [4].
The next research is entitled "Making a Prototype of a Backpack for School
Children with an Arduino Uno Microcontroller". In this study, the tool was made using
an Arduino Uno microcontroller coupled with a 5 Kg loadcell weight sensor with an
HX711 scale module with buzzer supporting components and LCD (Liquid Crystal
Display) 2 x 16 characters. The way this tool works is to detect if the weight of the load
exceeds the safe limit, then there is a danger warning and alarm that the weight of the
load is not suitable to be carried if the weight of the load exceeds 10-15% of the body
weight. The weight sensor performs well with calibration of less than 5 % accuracy
difference with perpendicular position weighing measurements [5].
In 2021, the research was entitled "Design and Build a NODEMCU-Based
Backpack Security System ESP8266 with Android Application Notifications". In this
study, NodeMCU and GPS module function to help find out the position of the backpack
so that its existence status can be known. The vibration sensor and buzzer function to help