Remotely sensing and adapting irrigation system

摘要

An irrigation system continuously monitors status of lawns or plants under its care and directs water to where it is needed when it is needed to maintain lawn or plant health. The system can significantly reduce water usage, unnecessary seepage, and runoff. A water nozzle with a pan and tilt capability can direct water where it is needed. An image sensor can continually take and analyze images of the lawns or plants to determine watering needs. The image sensor can also monitor where the water is landing while the irrigation system is delivering water to the lawns or plants. This information can be used to adjust the water delivery aim to ensure that the intended spots are accurately irrigated. A laminar flow nozzle with minimal flow dispersion can improve water deliver accuracy and detection of where the water lands.

主权项

1. An irrigation system, comprising:
an image sensor configured to capture images of an irrigation area, the irrigation area being an area to be cared for by the irrigation system; a steerable water delivery system configured to direct a stream of water to the irrigation area; and a controller unit coupled to the image sensor and the steerable water delivery system and configured to
receive images from the image sensor,determine locations to water in the irrigation area,direct the steerable water delivery system to deliver water to the determined locations, including receiving images from the image sensor while the steerable water delivery system is directing the stream of water to the irrigation area, and controlling positioning of the steerable water delivery system using detected landing points of the stream of water.