Time. All growers need more if it. More time to plant, weed, water, harvest and sell the crops; time to do the paperwork. Automatium is a new startup whose mission is to invent tools to help farmers work more efficiently.
Until now, available watering systems were limited to a few dozen valves or cost thousands of dollars just for the controller. Our first product is a wireless solenoid valve manager that is set to change all that.
We’re also creating the Automatium controller, a central hub for your system. It only costs $185 yet can manage and orchestrate hundreds of sprinkler valves and other devices. We’ve designed it to be ready to work with future new products like sensors and motors to open greenhouse vents.
The Automatium Valve Manager is a wireless valve manager for small-scale growers that you can control from your iPhone or computer. Since it’s wireless, you can locate it up to 3 miles from the system controller without running any wires.
Each 4-port valve manager is solar powered and can be installed almost anywhere there is sun. This makes it possible to automate the irrigation for distant fields without electric power. It’s also immune to power outages.
You can manage your system using the Automatium app on iPhone, Android, Mac, or PC. Turn on the water for a lettuce bed miles away while eating breakfast, or set up scheduled, watering times to water your beds automatically on a schedule.
One trade-off to be aware of is that the solar valve manager only works with DC latching solenoids. They’re a bit more expensive, but we think they pay for themselves in terms of convenience, flexibility, and wire savings.
The valve manager is projected to sell for $85 and will be available June 2018 in limited quantities. More information is available on the product page, where you can sign up to be notified when it’s ready.
We’re also working on a solar wireless sensor manager, designed to be a flexible solution for gathering sensor data and sending it back to the system controller. Our goal is to make the sensor manager compatible with as many sensors as possible through low-cost adapter chips. That means you’ll be able to start using new sensors as they come out without having to buy an entirely new sensor manager.
Once the sensor data is back at the controller, there are almost limitless possibilities for what to do with it. Here are some examples:
The Sensorium manager and sensors will be available soon. Sign up on our website to be notified when they’re ready.
If your question isn’t answered here, send me an email at caleb@whiting.io.
The range between the system controller and the valve managers is up to 3 miles over flat terrain. Range is reduced by obstructions like large buildings, forests, or hills.
If the wireless signal from a single controller isn’t enough you can install additional controllers to cover the dead zones. Get in touch and we’ll help you design a system.
Wireless links are quite reliable. Unlike buried cable, a wireless link can’t be cut with a shovel or rototiller. ;-)
Each valve manager also stores it’s irrigation schedule internally, adding an extra layer of reliability. They will continue to follow that schedule even if the main controller becomes unavailable. (In case of a power outage, for example.)
Of course! The system controller will create a WiFi network which you can join from your computer or smartphone.
The valve manager stores power in supercapacitors which never wear out. They trade capacity for longevity.
No problem. Just skip internet connection setup.
That’s the plan. We’re also investigating the possibility of powering the controller via passive PoE. (If you don’t know what that means, you probably wouldn’t use it.)