Join us for this month’s Tech Talk on August 22, where Manu Pillai, the founder of WaterBit, will demonstrate how the startup’s low-cost moisture sensors let growers know exactly when crops need water or additional nutrients.

Pillai and his team understands that growers need accurate moisture sensors and have developed technology that provides real-time soil moisture and temperature data. To create a sensor that is low cost and functional, WaterBit has reduced the power consumption and each unit runs on a battery that will last at least an entire season. There is no need for a solar panel—which is typical of other sensors—since power consumption is low for both sensor and radio.

Sensors can work through miles of dense crops, and to help further reduce costs, a few hundred sensors can share a cellular connection and they are capable of working in any type of soil. Typical sensors range from $5,000 to $8,000; WaterBit sensors will run for a $300 installation fee, with a $300 per year costs that includes everything from radio systems to data transfer to software application.

EVENT INFORMATION

WaterBit Tech Talk®

Date: Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Location: Online or in-person

Online: You will be emailed a link when you register

In-person: Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (150 Main Street, Suite 130, Salinas, CA 93901)

Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM PDT

RSVP: To attend, please register here.

Tech Talks, which are offered at no cost, are hosted by the Center to introduce WG members and the community to the latest innovations. For more information about the Tech Talk Series or the Center, contact Hank Giclas at (949) 885-2205.