SDS smart technology has been deployed to irrigate three planters using water stored in 275 litre rainwater harvesting tanks, on behalf of the University of Suffolk for the Adastral Park “Smart House” Project.
Our Intellistorm® smart irrigation system normally uses wired soil moisture sensors and expected rainfall data to control the quantity and timing of the water delivered. In this case we took an alternative approach by working with Aardra, a company which produces remote soil monitoring devices, and created a data bridge between their system and our own to enable us to query the moisture of the soil remotely.
Not only did this mean that we could monitor the soil moisture in each planter frequently, but also the decision to irrigate was made according to the soil’s actual moisture levels and rainfall predictions via the SDS Intellistorm® system. In essence, we only irrigate when the soil is sufficiently dry and there is insufficient rain forecast. This is ensures excellent water efficiency whilst maintaining the right moisture levels for the plants.
Every Intellistorm® product incorporates weather feed data, specifically predicting rainfall. When we introduce “smart irrigation,” we’re demonstrating how the product goes far beyond the basic function of turning on a tap once a day to water the plants, as would be typical in a standard timed irrigation system. Intellistorm® allows any data feed to be integrated into the decision making pipeline, meaning additional features such as nutrient monitoring or expected diurnal temperatures could be considered potential add-ons for this type of high-tech irrigation system.
