Running head: WATER WIDGET 1

Water Widget

Colin Pollard & Isaac Bromley-Dulfano

Academy for Math, Engineering, and Science

Research Plan

11/5/17
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Introduction

Water is a commodity. It is estimated that 70% of fresh water is used on agriculture,

about three times as much as 50 years ago (Global Agriculture, 2015), and this is expected to

continually rise. The agriculture industry provides food for every person on the planet, so while

the problem cannot be avoided, there are many innovative minds hoping to find a solution.

Watering crops an ideal amount is one of the best ways to conserve water. Overwatering

wastes extra that the plants don’t need. Both overwatering and underwatering lead to unhealthy

effects on crops, such as dying leaves, roots, etc. This results in either a smaller yield, or no yield

at all; either way, it is a tremendous waste. By maintaining proper soil moisture, farmers can

easily increase their water efficiency, sometimes up to 20% (Economist, 2016). Watering crops

just the right amount is where the challenge ensues.

Most of rural America still uses timers to control irrigation, leading to astronomical

inefficiency. Because of this, some farms use moisture sensors to track and more efficiently use

water (Alva, 2000). However, by limiting data aquisition to moisture sensors, irrigation systems

are unable to predict and adapt based on many other factors that determine the quantity of

necessary water. If these are considered, these systems could form a more precise and informed

prediction. Ultimately, effective watering is guided by a number of factors: Time of day,

weather, sunlight, temperature, and humidity (Food & Agriculture Orginization).

Evaporation is another problem concerning water use. Most farmers will follow a basic

formula: water when it is coolest out, to reduce evaporation. That is an effective, but basic model

(Zazueta, 1994). By tracking exact values, farmers can find a more specific time to water,

reducing water loss to evaporation.

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Additionally, wasted water is not a problem exclusive to agriculture. Golf courses use an

estimated 100,000-1,000,000 gallons of water per week during the summer (Alliance for Water

Resources). 30-60 percent of urban fresh water is used on lawns (Polycarpou, 2010); and a great

deal of water is wasted as a result of poor timing and application.

Many companies are attempting to address these issues using data driven solutions. For

instance, Hydrawise uses local weather data to prevent longer term overwatering, but does not

take into account shorter term soil moisture data. This works well for home use in basic

topography, but for larger applications, local sensors are nearly required. Additionally, these

systems are very expensive. For a basic Hydrawise system, one must purchase a controller, flow

sensor, and rain sensor for a total of 340 USD. We hope to lower this cost significantly.

There are many other companies (Racchio, Rainbird, etc.) which have taken different

approaches to these problems. Some utilize expensive sensors that consumers buy separately, or

rely exclusively on weather data. They all share the same problems: high costs, closed-source,

and limited scale.

Instead of relying exclusively on either sensor data or local weather to give the farmer an

advanced view of the plant’s environment, a system could get a more complete picture by

combining the two sources of data. If it took advantage of low-cost sensor and maintained an

open source approach, this could provide a more holistic solution. The irrigation or sprinkler

systems could adapt to changing conditions when adjusting watering schedules. Nearby farms

can use the data to predict conditions affecting their own crops. Golf courses and the lawns of

millions of Americans can become more water efficient. As a result of the large accumulation of

information, such a device could become a valuable research tool. As the future of plant growth
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moves further to finely-controlled environments, researchers could use the data from this device

to search optimal conditions for plant growth.

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Proposed Solution:

In order to reduce the amount of water used worldwide, affordable data-driven irrigation systems

must be created that are both open-source and accessible to consumers and farmers around the world.

Design Goals:

1. Less than $100

2. Open-source

3. Self-powered (Solar)

4. Compact (Less than 1’x1’x1’ in size)

5. Wireless capabilities (for large fields)

6. Connects to local weather data

7. Pairs with mobile App for device control

Parts:

Cube

● 3W-6V Solar Panel

● Solar charge shield

● 18650 Li ion battery

● Battery Holder

● Moisture sensor

● Temperature/Humidity Sensor

● Sunlight Sensor

● LED notification light

● NodeMCU (microcontroller)

● Female & Male Headers

● Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)

● Sensor Connectors
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● 3d-Printouts (Skeleton & Frame)

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Construction:

*Many components will be preassembled by manufacturer,

1. 3d-design frame and skeleton of cube

2. Use CAD software to design PCB

3. Screw Solar charge shield onto stand-offs

4. Solder headers onto PCB

5. Plug PCB onto solar charge shield

6. Plug NodeMCU into PCB

7. Plug all sensors onto PCB

8. Slide skeletal frame with electronic components into frame.

9. Plug in solar panel and sunlight sensor

10. Use screws to fix lid onto cube

Software:

Our software will take data from the sensors on the box and archive them. Then, combining that data with

local weather data, we will use a history-forecast approach to decide how much water the plant needs to

maintain a certain level of moisture. This can also be set to a research mode that will only take data, but

will not be connected to a watering system, this will be ideal for researching. This feature will help study

the most effective conditions for plant growth.

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Testing:

While a few objectives remain for the product to be fully complete, we can begin to consider where and

how this project can be used. Keeping everything open-source allows us to broaden the accessibility of

this product around the world. This will be especially beneficial in developing countries where resources

are especially limited (both fiscal and environmental). Smaller farms and other consumers in the public

domain can now make a shift to more efficient watering systems without making such an expensive or

complicated investment. Hopefully, we can begin to conserve water on a global scale.

Safety:

Our project will require soldering electronic parts, and using a 3d printer. All soldering/printing will take

place in well ventilated rooms. We will take precautionary measures to avoid burns while soldering, or

working with the printer. All power output will be very low for our electronics, so dangerous shock levels

are improbable.
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References

Alliance for Water Efficiency (n.d.) Golf Course Water Efficiency

Retrieved November 5, 2017

http://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/golf_course.aspx

Economist (2016) The Future of Agriculture

Retrieved October 15, 2017

http://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2016-06-09/factory-fresh

Fares & Alva (2000) Evaluation of capacitance probes for optimal irrigation through soil moisture

monitoring in an entisol profile

Retrieved October 15, 2017

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs002710050001?LI=true

Food and Agriculture Organization (n.d.) Crop Water Needs

Retrieved October 29, 2017

http://www.fao.org/docrep/s2022e/s2022e02.htm

Global Agriculture (2015) Water: Competition for a Scarce Resource

Retrieved October 15, 2017

http://www.globalagriculture.org/report-topics/water.html

Harrington, J. (n.d.) Overwatering and Underwatering

Retrieved October 22, 2017

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http://homeguides.sfgate.com/difference-between-overwatering-underwatering-85478.html

Mafuta et al. (2013) Successful Deployment of a Wireless Sensor Network for Precision Agriculture

Retrieved October 29, 2017

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1155/2013/150703

Maugan, Allen, & Drost (2015) Soil Moisture Measurement and Sensor Irrigation Management

Retrieved October 17, 2017

http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1777&context=extension_curall

Pitts, L. (2016) Monitoring Soil Moisture for Optimal Growth

Retrieved October 15, 2017

https://observant.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/208067926-Monitoring-Soil-Moisture-for-

Optimal-Crop-Growth

Polycarpou, L. (2010) The Problem of Lawns

Retrieved November 5, 2017

http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2010/06/04/the-problem-of-lawns/

WP Law (2013) The Most Common Problems with Farm Irrigation Systems

Retrieved October 15, 2017

http://www.wplawinc.com/agricultural-irrigation-blog/the-most-common-problems-with-farm-

irrigation-systems
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Zazueta, F. (2014) Evaporation Loss during Sprinkler Irrigation

Retrieved October 22, 2017

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/AE/AE04800.pdf