GreenGo

Project overview

GreenGo tells farmers how their soil is doing without them standing in the field. The device measures soil moisture, temperature, humidity and light, shows them on its own screen, and sends them to an app on the farmer's phone, which can also turn the water pump on or off.

• A device that checks the soil and the air and waters the plants
• Live readings and history on the phone
• Turn the pump on or off from anywhere, with safety limits
• Text message alerts when the soil gets too dry
• Works on slow internet, and keeps working offline

The challenge

Farmers need to know the soil is drying before the plants suffer, and to water at the right time, often with a weak mobile signal. Controlling a pump from far away also has to be safe: a lost connection must never leave it running.

• Work on slow networks and offline
• Make the device and the app show the same thing at a glance
• Make remote watering safe

Approach

The device sends its readings every few seconds. The app turns them into one simple moisture bar that matches the bar on the device's own screen, so farmers read both the same way.

Safety rules are built in: the pump can only run for so long, must rest between runs, and has a daily limit, so a dropped connection can never flood a field. Alerts come by text message, so farmers hear about problems even without the app open.

• Easy setup for new devices
• Built for real farm conditions

What this shows

A working device and a live app: readings go from the field to the phone, alerts arrive when the soil is dry, and the pump can be run safely from anywhere.

I can build both the device and the app: hardware that works in the field and software people can use on a slow connection.

• Device and app built end to end, as a team of four
• Safety built in
• Works offline and sends text alerts