This Australian teen was awarded top prize for his revolutionary sprinkler device that will no longer waste water on overly-hydrated plants.
The device has built-in sensors that moderate soil moisture, weather conditions, and rain intensity. Though the original prototype only took 2 months to develop, Sabiqul is hoping to improve the pump before taking it anywhere further.
MORE: Teenage Girl Turns Plastic Trash Into Million-Dollar Biofuel
“I came up with the idea after watching the sprinkler system at school, which is timer-based and not very good – it sprinkles water even when the plants don’t need it,” Sabiqul told UNSW. “So we mostly run it on manual, and turn it on when water is needed. But if we forget, plants can go for days without being watered.”
“Basically, what it does is look at the average temperature, and if it is above 20˚C, it counts this as a high, so it knows to turn on the pump – unless the soil is already wet from rain,” said Sabiqul. “The light detector indicates if it’s day or night; if it’s night and it’s hotter than 20˚C and humid, the sprinkler will come on because the plant needs it.”
Plant Some Positivity: Click To Share – Photo by UNSW