This Sprinkler System Knows If It’s Going to Rain
Water scarcity is impacting the entire world, so the thought that 50% of water used for outdoor irrigation is wasted makes us a little sick to our stomachs. Though there are some other cool smart sprinklers on the market (like Lono), traditional home sprinkler systems aren’t helping the water use matter. Blossom is a new smart device (currently funding on Kickstarter) that learns everything about your particular yard and combines that data with the weather forecast in order to minimize wasted H2O.
Understanding that not every yard has the same needs was the first step, so Blossom allows you to map and share your layout and plant types, and then sets up a specific plan for each zone based on those plants using information from professional botanists. It also keeps an eye on the weather via real-time local weather data and satellite information, so it constantly makes adjustments for rainfall. And, of course, you can adjust things manually if you need to.
The Blossom system includes the controller (which you can keep inside or outside), the bridge (the Internet connection for the controller) and the mobile app (iOS and Android). It will retail for $179 and is compatible with most existing sprinkler systems. Blossom has already successfully reached its goal, so you can be guaranteed that if you pledge before December 17, you’ll receive the backer goodies. $119 or more will get you a discounted Blossom controller by February of next year, so you’ll be ready to smarten up your sprinklers by spring.
Getting this device (and this robot gardener) into people’s homes could be a great start, but it would be interesting to see this sort of technology implemented within the agriculture industry, where it could have an even bigger impact on water conservation efforts.
Do you think this could be a helping hand to conserve water? Let us know in the comments below!
