Real-time sensor-based irrigation platform for drought-resilient turfgrass
An innovative sensor-driven irrigation platform using UAVs, satellites, and soil moisture sensors to optimize water use in turf management. Reduces irrigation by 25-40% while maintaining turf quality, targeting applications in golf courses and municipal parks.
Overview
The proposed solution is a cutting-edge, sensor-based irrigation platform designed to enhance the drought resilience of turfgrass in urban, recreational, and sports landscapes. By integrating real-time data from UAVs, satellites, and soil moisture sensors, the platform enables precision irrigation scheduling that aligns with the actual needs of the plants. This approach is expected to reduce water usage by 25-40% without compromising turf quality. The platform is particularly suited for applications in golf courses, sporting arenas, and municipal parks, supporting the growing demand for smart irrigation solutions.
Technical specifications
Key features:
- Utilizes NDVI, NDRE, and thermal imagery to assess turf health and water needs.
- Integrates data from UAV flights, PlanetScope satellite imagery, and real-time soil moisture sensors.
- Includes a web-based dashboard for decision support, featuring daily irrigation scheduling and stress maps.
- Employs evapotranspiration (ET) models to match irrigation to plant requirements, reducing waste.
- Supports six warm-season turf cultivars in diverse irrigation scenarios.
Technology readiness level
This technology has reached TRL 6, indicating a prototype system validated in relevant environments. Field trials are underway at Texas Tech University to further refine the platform, with resources allocated for sensors, UAV operations, software, and personnel.
About Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University is a large, comprehensive public research university in Lubbock and an anchor of the Texas Tech University System, coupling academic breadth with applied, collaborative research. Industry partners engage through a research park and incubator, co-located labs, shared core facilities, and West Texas field sites for pilot-scale and real-world testing. Proximity to the Permian Basin and regional manufacturing, plus collaboration with the system’s health sciences center, creates clear pathways for product development, clinical translation, and talent pipelines. Research is supported by competitive federal funding from agencies such as NSF, DOE, USDA, NIH, DoD, and NASA, and a dedicated technology transfer office streamlines IP, licensing, startup formation, and corporate contracting.
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