A remote-controlled sensor to monitor orchard irrigation systems via the internet has launched a Toi Ohomai IT student and former graduate into the spotlight.
Jacob Van Silfhout and Sam Gough's presentation about their summer research project earnt them first place at the Institute's Summer Scholarship Snapshot event. The pair worked with IT company Sensum IoT to develop software that allows mobile devices to access real-time data from a soil sensor probe, via the internet.
Growers and orchard managers can check the temperature and moisture content of crop soils from anywhere, and program the sensor to operate automatically to ensure optimal growing conditions. It is an example of how The Internet of Things is connecting electronic appliances and devices to the internet to allow for remote monitoring.
As well as developing the internet part of the system (web dashboard) the students implemented the sensors and irrigation system at the horticultural department of Toi Ohomai's Windermere campus, where horticulture programme manager Steven Webb said the new system was making a huge difference because all monitoring was previously done manually.
"Now we can get precise daily measurements in a format that can be exported or used for graphing. It's really good for our students to see how high tech the primary industry is becoming and to have access to it right here," Webb said.
