Smart irrigation system
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Hi! Some time ago, together with my friends, I started a side project and I’d like to share with you some thoughts about it
Day-to-day we’re working as programmers building and deploying software for different companies. Once we came up with an idea of designing and building an intelligence system for gardens watering. Our purpose is to create an economic and environmentally friendly solution. The plan is to reduce the usage of water which resources are running out and related costs, especially in developing countries. We put most logic of the system into a cloud-based web application that communicates with the controller device. This one we based on Onion Omega2S. The system works with 12 solenoid valves and we planning to implement two modes. Automatic with build-in AI, which applies watering schedule (time and duration) basing on current weather conditions (temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind), weather forecast, history of watering, conditions specific for particular climate zone and type of plants. This mode doesn’t require any specialistic knowledge to be run and used successfully. So almost none configuration, just plug it in and it will do the job. The second one will be manual, so users will be able to configure all the parameters on their own. All configuration and management will be done via the mobile application for both platforms (we are thinking also about integration with Apple HomeKit). The controller device is compatible with most of the solenoid valves and uses a 2-inch display to show some base information. It connects to the network via WiFi, so switching to this solution from already existing systems should be easy also. Overall we estimate that our solution could cost half of the price of comparable devices on the market. Currently, we have a prototype with a dedicated operating system and part of the controller software. In the video below, you can see how a sample of the controller device interface looks like.
What do you think about this project? Do you think this idea has any chance to succeed? Will anyone would like to use this? Would you like to have such a solution in your garden?
Thank you very much for all the comments and have a great day!
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@supczinskib Intelligent watering systems are not a new idea, but any exiting idea can always be improved so I am interested to see what you come up with.
I currently have a home automation system installed in my apartment and a very large garden (image attached
) which I integrated with my home automation system so I've been tweaking this for about 7 years now. I do see a potential flaw in your "Automatic" system. Watering plants is more than just weather, it is about soil moisture and soil moisture is impacted by numerous factors, including the type of soil, ground coverage and obstructions. For a very basic garden maybe this idea would work, but a garden of any complexity will require reading soil moisture otherwise you'll end up over watering or under watering. Different plants require different moisture levels to survive so I ended up using moisture sensors in order to allow my system be able to understand the moisture content of the various areas of the garden and any specific plants that need special attention.
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@crispyoz Thanks a lot for your opinion. Ps. beautiful garden.
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@supczinskib, please tell us how did you make splash boot screen with a progress bar?
Also how use third-party touch input device in the Omega?
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@Modest-Polykarpovich Unfortunately, I cannot describe the complete solution. This is complicated and it requires a lot of kernel modifications. About 2,000 lines of code. The IPS display is not a touchscreen. It is based on the ST7789V chip and does not work properly with any available drivers. We wrote our own driver based on a similar one and applied it.
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@supczinskib, thank you for the answer. Your UI looks like production factory device.
Your idea has interes in general. I think main controller need a bigger display for monitoring parameters. All its configurations must be declared via web-intetface or any cloud server.
Also this device need a big hardware part (pums, valves, sensors including remoted). I think it needs a big database about botany as help-part for users.
By the way... sensors you can power by solar sells, to trsnsfer data you can get LoRa net.
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@Modest-Polykarpovich Thanks you for your comments and views. We strive to make the user experience as positive as possible. The next stage of work on the controller is coming to an end. We will publish the results soon.
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It took a while, but the work is progressing. This is not one of those projects that is dying in the early stages
We have a prototype and first implementation. Hope the owner doesn't love his garden very much In some time I will write about further work progress.
Have a nice day!
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This post is deleted!
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@supczinskib congratulations on completing your prototype!
The video doesn't download on my machine other then the first images.
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@crispyoz Thank you. Check if you can play the video now.
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@supczinskib Works fine now, thank you. Your UI looks nice, easy to understand.
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@crispyoz It's nice that you like it. Thanks.
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@supczinskib how is your project progressing? I'm interested to see.
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@crispyoz The irrigation controller software is complete. Work is currently underway on the management application for iOS and Android.
We will probably provide software for Omega for free and a mobile application in the basic version (schedule without AI) along with documentation on how to build such a controller based on Omega.
Unfortunately, the work slowed down because our team got smaller. We have no external financing and we have to divide our time between professional work and this project.
I am convinced that the project will be completed. We still need some time.
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@supczinskib Thanks for the update, I'm watching with interest as I think the project has good potential. Building commercial stuff in your spare time is always a challenge, but when you are not controlled by 3rd party capital you can follow your passion.
Keep us updated as you progress.
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@crispyoz Thanks for your support. I will certainly let you know when we take the next big step.
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We have added a remote firmware update.
Below is a photo of an early prototype.Firmware update: https://env.pl/files/irrig07.mp4
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@supczinskib Thanks for the update, nice to see things are taking shape.
I like your casing, is it made from UV stable material? Have you considered the internal temperature of the casing and its effect on components when mounted in outdoor locations? Is the casing watertight?
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@crispyoz Thank you. This is a temporary casing.
