WATERGOLF

Wireless distributed intelligent system for irrigation optimisation and early turf disease prevention and treatment on Golf Courses

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Recreational water use is usually a very small but growing percentage of total water use and is mostly tied to reservoirs. If a reservoir is kept fuller than it would otherwise be for recreation, then the water retained could be categorized as recreational usage. Recreational usage is usually non-consumptive. The report from the European Environment Agency (EEA), reveals that Europe has so far concentrated on increasing the supply of water rather than exploring ways to limit its demand. Golf courses are often targeted as using excessive amounts of water, especially in drier. Some governments have labeled golf course usage as agricultural in order to deflect environmentalist’s charges of wasting water. The objective of the project is the development of a system based on wireless and artificial intelligence which provides support to irrigation Golf course processes with a water saving of 33% minimum. By including On field underground sensing: i) Underground humidity; ii)Salinity underground iii) Underground NIR measurement iv) Underground temperature, V) soil Ph. Also On-surface sensing will be included: i) Visible color sight; ii) Filtered visible colour measurement; iii) Wind speed and direction. Also the system will include a number of Ambient sensing at different zones, Ambient temperature and weather forecast based on consensus. All the measurements are transmitted by means of low consumption battery powered wireless ZigBee technology with specific antenna design.

An Artificial Intelligence driven and ‘fools-proof’ software system and others, will use the sensor measurements information and others, such as 3D Golf course mapping and drainage, compacting soil degrees, weather forecast, etc…, will suggest the parameters for irrigation for the different zones, and also will inform of existing or coming turf diseases conditions and possible treatments if needed. Also an internet access to human experts is provided by the WaterGolf system.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Golf courses waste water. However, an EU-developed system relies on a network of sensors and an intelligent control unit to manage water usage and reduce consumption by a third.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Growing European populations place water resources under pressure, and solutions to date have included increasing supply rather than limiting demand. Golf courses have been targeted as high-usage and potentially extravagant, thus a water management system for golf courses would contribute to reducing Europe's overall water consumption.

The EU-funded http://www.watergolf-project.com (WATERGOLF) project aimed to develop such a system. The concept includes a wireless network, including underground soil sensors and surface atmospheric sensors, and an artificial intelligence control unit. Innovative software drives the operation. The eight-member consortium will run throughout the whole of 2013 and 2014.

Initial work focused on functional requirements for the project, plus research into whether the requirements could be achieved in time. Later, progress on the wireless platform commenced, with certain suitable hardware chosen. The wireless platform was complete as of the first reporting period, and testing was underway. Work also began on a prototype underground sensor unit, with soil sensors being selected and linked to the wireless node. The project developed a spring system to identify sensor locations during golf course maintenance. The external unit, or weather station, also depends on sensors connected to the wireless network.

The team of expert turf managers began documenting their expertise as a knowledge base for decision rules, including control of irrigation, weeds and fungi. Software development initially focused on creating a system mock-up, and later on development of the expert system.

The WATERGOLF project will lead to a customisable system for supporting the water management of golf courses. Ultimately, the system will lead to water savings of at least one third, while also reducing fungal and weed problems, meaning less pesticide use.