A Smart Drip Irrigation System - Senior Design Project
Channel: Abiodun Lawal
Date: 05/12/2020

Building an automated “smart” drip irrigation system requires the synthesis of several electrical modules and materials to work effectively. Most of the already-existing irrigation systems consist of three main systems; a multi-functional printed circuit board (PCB), lithium-ion/rechargeable battery, and an electric power system. Concordantly, our team built modules that analogously fall under these systems coupled with a few technical improvements to help ameliorate irrigation systems as we know it.

According to the U.N. World Food Programme, the leading industry in Nicaragua is agriculture, with 70% of the population working in this trade. While approximately 30% of the entire Nicaraguan population lives on less than $2.00 per day, this number increases to 50% for households in extremely rural areas. These families often rely on operating small farms to earn a livelihood. To assist, our team has designed the Smart Drip Irrigation System (SDI); the SDI system is built to improve on previous irrigation systems so as to provide for impoverished farmers in Nicaragua. We upgraded its user interface and created a compact yet durable design while ensuring ease of use and portability, minimal device maintenance, and a long system lifespan.

This project was built and designed by:
Abiodun Lawal
Isaac Maloney
Carissa Serrano
Charlene Woelfel

Fall 2020 - University of Houston Senior Design Project
(c) Abiodun Lawal, 2020