You may have already fallen in love with Nest, the smart home controller of the future, but what if you could bring this level of control to your garden?
Israel-based GreenIQ is trying to do just that with its new invention, the Smart Garden Hub. The product was originally unveiled at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, and it is now available to consumers at Home Depot for $249. Can it really revolutionize gardening as we know it?
First, it’s worth noting that current irrigation systems (think lawn sprinklers) aren’t the best, and up to 50 percent of the water Americans use outdoors is wasted due to evaporation, wind, and other factors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This inefficiency inspired GreenIQ to develop its Smart Garden Hub, which is specifically designed to eliminate unnecessary waste.
You can control the Wi-Fi-enabled Smart Garden Hub via iPhone, iPad, Android, or the Internet. Through the GreenIQ app, users can remotely adjust irrigation settings and lighting at any time. The product also works with a large number of third-party sensors, such as the Weather Station and Rain Gauge from Netatmo. These sensors provide localized weather information, as well as forecasts, so sprinklers won’t turn on when it’s raining. Other notable sensors that work with the Smart Garden Hub include Flower Power from Parrot and Koubachi, which measure soil moisture levels.
Currently, GreenIQ is working with IFTTT to enhance the Smart Garden Hub and make it easier to control items such as sprinklers. The overall goal is to help users put connected devices on autopilot, creating a smarter garden with less work. The company claims it’s already helped users save over two million gallons of water since last summer’s the beta launch.
“We are aiming to be the ‘Nest for the garden,’” said Odi Dahan, the founder and CEO of GreenIQ.
Available at: Home Depot
