Digitization and automation have engulfed every scope and sphere of life. Internet of Things (IoT) has been the main enabler of the revolution. There still exist challenges in IoT that need to be addressed such as the limited address space for the increasing number of devices when using IPv4 and IPv6 as well as key security issues such as vulnerable access control mechanisms. Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology that has immense benefits such as enhanced security and traceability. Thus, blockchain can serve as a good foundation for applications based on transaction and interactions. IoT implementations and applications are by definition distributed. This means blockchain can help to solve most of the security vulnerabilities and traceability concerns of IoTs by using blockchain as a ledger that can keep track of how devices interact, in which state they are and how they transact with other IoT devices. IoT applications have been mainly implemented with technologies such as cloud and fog computing, and AI to help address some of its key challenges. The key implementation challenges and technical choices to consider in making a successful blockchain IoT (BIoT) project are clearly outlined in this paper. The security and privacy aspect of BIoT applications are also analyzed, and several relevant solutions to improve the scalability and throughput of such applications are proposed. The paper also reviews integration schemes and monitoring frameworks for BIoT applications. A hybrid blockchain IoT integration architecture that makes use of containerization is proposed.

Monitoring the level of water in dams is necessary to ensure optimal operation and safety. Water level monitoring is normally done manually by a full-time operator. This results mostly in a waste of water due to the inability of the operator to accurately determine the quantity of water to release from the dam gate. The aim of this paper is to present the design of a system to automatically open and close dam gates based on the level of water in the dam. The system is based on a low-cost microcontroller and an ultrasonic sensor to read water level in the dam. SMS messages are sent to nearby residents to warn them of the opening of the dam gate. An alarm is also sounds before the eventual opening of the dam gate.

Poultry is one of the most consumed agricultural produce in Ghana. Because of this high demand, the problem necessitates efforts to maximize the yield of poultry production in the country. Relying on natural means of hatching eggs to increase poultry production is inefficient thus the need for technologies that will aid in maximizing the yield. Artificial means of solving this problem have brought about the invention of the incubator. Although this has helped in large-scale incubation, incubators in the market are very expensive which makes Ghanaian poultry farmers find it difficult to purchase. This project investigates the design and implementation of an affordable, automated incubator for local poultry farmers. It is aimed at designing a low-cost smart incubator to ensure the maintenance of the optimum environmental conditions necessary for hatching eggs. These conditions: Ventilation, Temperature, Relative Humidity, regular positioning, and eggs turnings are kept at their optimal values to efficiently increase the hatchability rate. Temperature and humidity sensors are used to read temperature and humidity values inside the incubator respectively. These values are sent to a microcontroller which then coordinates other parts of the incubator to execute automated tasks. A mobile application is integrated with the incubator for the communication of important information to the poultry farmer.

This article describes an in-depth methodical approach to the development of efficient high-frequency (HF) antennas for use in radio frequency identification (RFID) systems operating at 13.56 MHz. It presents brief theory relevant to RFID communication and sets up a framework within which features and requirements of antennas are linked to key design parameters such as antenna form-factor and size; RF power level, material and communication protocol. Tuning circuits necessary to adjust the resonance and power matching characteristics of antennas for good transponder interrogation and response recovery are discussed. To validate the approaches outlined, a stepwise design and measurement of an HF antenna for an ISO/IEC 15693 compliant read/write device (RWD) is described. Common practical problems that are often encountered in such design processes are also commented on. The prototyped antenna was tuned, connected to the RWD via a 50 Ω coaxial cable and tested.

Attendance has evolved to become a key requirement in educational institutions worldwide. With empirical evidence showing correlation between students'academic performance and attendance, parents, guardians, lecturers and school administrations make effort to monitor attendance of students to classes and academic events. The conventional method for recording attendance in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), is the manual system, where sheets are passed round for students to write their names, student ID numbers and then append their signatures. The current manual system was observed to be both inefficient and time-consuming. In this paper we discuss the use of NFC technology coupled with fingerprint verification technology, designed to work with an API and a web-based application to implement a more effective approach for recording and managing attendance in the university. The Department of Computer Engineering, KNUST was used as the scope of the project.