Farmbot remote monitoring water technology gives farm owners and managers a real time overview of water use and water sources across their properties.
A recent update of Farmbot’s technology enables its equipment to work better with other sensor technologies, such as moisture probes and geo-tags.
Automated water monitoring equipment has grown in popularity on Australian farms over recent years, and while Farmbot is a relative newcomer in the sensor technology space, it believes its product offers some unique advantages over more established competitors.
The company’s sixth-generation equipment incorporates algorithms and power management intellectual property that allows its devices to sit in a paddock for years at a time and transmit information about water systems – be that a tank, a dam or a trough for livestock.
Sixth-generation devices can talk to up to 25 different sensors, allowing for the monitoring of water pressure, flow rates, rainfall, electric fences and more.
They feature two-way communication and wireless and point to point connectivity, enabling them to integrate with other devices being used on the farms.
Farmbot has deployed over 1,700 remote monitoring units so far and the company says its equipment can reduce manual water inspections by up to 90 per cent, saving thousands of labour hours and hundreds of thousands of kilometres driven to check water.
The primary benefits of remote water monitoring systems are reductions in stock stress and stock loss, an ongoing issue that costs Australian farms millions of dollars each year.
Farmbot sensors are able to provide a live data feed no matter where they are placed thanks to their ability to connect via satellite, 3G, 4G or LTE connectivity.
Farmers are able to receive information via their phones, tablets or desktops in near real time by SMS, email and dashboard alerts.
While Farmbot is currently focused on livestock operations, it has its eye on expansion into grain, sugar cane, horticulture and vineyard operations where access to timely water and moisture information is also critical.
