PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN, 7th March 2018 (NNT) – Three technical school students in Prachuap Khiri Khan province have invented a pen for checking the ripeness of durians with 100 percent accuracy.

Methee Khamphuang, Phanthiwa Khamkaew, and Somsong Chaengaksorn spent three months on designing and creating this invention. The students studied at Bang Saphan Vocational College.

The pen features a long needle with a tip that pierces the durian's peel and then measures the resistance force of the inside meat. If the pen turns green, it means the durian is ripe. If the pen turns yellow, the durian is semi-ripe. If it turns red, the fruit still raw.

The head of the factory mechanics department of Bang Saphan Vocational College, Mr Jitwatthana Boonlert, said the pen has won the best innovation award in the province for the 2017 academic year.

Current testing for ripeness involves experts listening to the sound when they gently touch the peel with a tiny stick. To be more certain, the peel must be slightly cut open and buyers must press the meat to feel whether it is hard or soft.

He said the pen could be used to accurately check the ripeness without having to first cut open the fruit's peel.

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