COMMUNITY CASE STUDY article
Front. Sustain.
Sec. Sustainable Organizations
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvanced technologies for water management: targeting sustainable agricultureView all 3 articles
Understanding Visitor Perceptions to Guide IoT-Based Innovations in University Ecofarms: Insights from Indonesia
Provisionally accepted
Nana Kariada Tri Martuti1
Inaya Sari Melati1*
Sumardjo Sumardjo2Adi Firmansyah2Leonard Dharmawan2
Cecep Darmawan3Heni Nuraeni Zaenudin3- 1Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
- 2IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
- 3Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
This study explores visitor perceptions of UNNES Ecofarm, an integrated farming initiative by Universitas Negeri Semarang, as a foundation for guiding the development of an Internet of Things (IoT)-based automated greenhouse control system. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 209 participants, including students, educators, and professionals from various sectors. The study first assesses visitor motivations, learning experiences, and perceptions of Ecofarm's facilities, educational quality, and sustainability practices. Findings reveal that 72% of visitors were primarily motivated by a desire to learn about integrated agriculture, with over 80% expressing positive views on accessibility and sustainability. Based on strong visitor interest in innovation and smart farming technologies, the study proceeded to develop an IoT-driven greenhouse control system to address both environmental efficiency and educational needs. This two-phase approach—first understanding user needs, then developing appropriate technology—demonstrates the importance of grounding innovation in participatory feedback. The research underscores the role of university ecofarms in sustainable development, environmental education, and technological innovation aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Keywords: visitor perception, IoT, Integrated farming, sustainable education, greenhouseautomation, smart agriculture, university ecofarm, Participatory Design
Received: 22 Aug 2025; Accepted: 10 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Martuti, Melati, Sumardjo, Firmansyah, Dharmawan, Darmawan and Zaenudin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Inaya Sari Melati, inaya.sari@mail.unnes.ac.id
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.