A new product on Kickstarter called Hydros might just save the suburban lawn. With states like California, Nevada and many parts of the Mid-west experiencing frequent droughts, the American lawn has come under fire. People are often asked to cut back on showers, and watering the lawn isn’t even a thought. Water conservation is something that should be a constant goal to strive for, not just in times of H2O shortness — and Hydros wants to help.
Hydros is a program that uses wireless scheduling capabilities to create a water schedule based on the type of grass, soil, sunlight, and weather forecasts. The program continuously updates the existing conditions, meaning it only waters your grass when it’s needed and disperses the correct amount of water, instead of simply running for a set time limit. The yard sensors also have the capability to associate with other parts of the yard that may have a different type of grass. If you’ve got Kentucky blue grass in the front and Bermuda on the side, Hydros will take that into account with its watering calculations.
The goal of Hydros is to help reduce unnecessary water use, benefiting the planet as well as taking the sting out of one’s water bill. In tested markets, Hydros was shown to reduce water bills between 25 and 60%.
The four person team behind Hydros, is lead by Manuel Masri and hopes to have the Hydros controllers and sensors ready to be shipped to consumers by May 2015. Marsi, a native of Argentina, is dedicated to taking the guesswork out of lawn irrigation and delivering a product that learns a lawn’s needs over time and is durable enough to last.
“Hydros sensors work underground, sticking up 1/2” from the ground, making it safe for a lawnmower to run over them. “
Hydros controllers will have the capability to link to other surrounding Hydros sensors in the region to increase the accuracy of weather predictions and irrigation needs.
The technology behind Hydros might seem complex, but the idea is simple: bring a little more intelligence to the way we use water. Follow along with the team’s advances on this new and environmentally conscious product at their website.