Meru student invents automatic irrigation system

Meru student invents automatic irrigation system

A 24-year-old fourth year computer science student at Meru University of Science and Technology has come up with a Sensor based Automatic Irrigation System and a Sensor Home Automation System that is expected to reduce the time spent by farmers irrigating their crops.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, James Kariuki said the system will use soil moisture sensors to detect when the soil dries up so that that it can release water to crops, adding that the system will automatically shut down while the farmer is away.

Daniel Maitethia, a physics lecturer at Meru University, and Samuel Lalai the university’s lab technician assisted James to design the system.

Daniel said that the system will also send a message to a farmer to either open a specific water valve or turn off a specific water pump.

“I Joined the Innovators club while in second year. We were a group of five students but everyone else quit because the they thought the project was too technical,” said James.

The irrigation system has drip lines that are divided into different portions, and the water is channelled to each portion through an automated valve that also supplies water to the rest of the drip lines.

The system is also expected to reduce water wastage and labour costs since it does not need to be manned.

Incase the system fails and the soil dries up, the farmer will get a message on their phone informing them of the problem.

On the other hand, the home automation system will control lights and switch off electronic gadgets like television in homes.

The system comes with a mobile application that has the ability to sense invasion by strangers and sending a security alarm.

 

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Meru University James Kariuki Samuel Lalai

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