siliconindia | | November 20199Water scarcity is emerging as the greatest challenge for the future of the human kind. Several reports suggest that by 2050, in India the per capita availability of water will decrease by 40-50%. With water shortage of clean, potable is increasingly becom-ing a reality sooner than later, such smart farm technology solutions will enable the country to find better water conservation solutions in our farms to deal with the impending future crisis and also ensure better plan-ning of distribution of the available water resources. Smart Pump Systems Coming to the RescueIndia has developed its own world-class engineering capabilities in water management systems by leveraging disruptive technologies such as Inter-net of Things, AR/VR and 3D print-ing. These are the new-gen pumping systems that are capable of meeting the diverse challenges in water sup-ply to farms. With depleting ground water levels today, farmer faces chal-lenge of getting clean water from borewell. The power supply in many villages is irregular and still fluctu-ates, which makes it difficult for the farmer to pump up water from deeper borewells. Also, water so acquired is not clean and could potentially damage crops. The new-gen pumps are equipped to function normally even on low voltage. There are pumps that are suited for meeting sprinkler & drip systems in farms where pressure can be controlled. Some are fitted with chlorination technology designed for improving the quality of water deliv-ered through the pump. Disruptive Technologies Making a DifferenceThe technology blueprint of these smart pumping systems uses a com-bination of disruptive technologies. Besides IoT, latest technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) and 3D Printing are being used to innovate across the entire length and breadth of production­ right from the design, manufacture and deployment, to remotely monitor-ing and operating these systems and lastly to offering seamless and faster after-sales services.Knowledge-based software that is built on over a century's experi-ence in water management are today being used to come-up with precise solutions for the farmer, specific to his farm's location, farming prac-tices and availability and quality of fresh water resources. Smart pumps automate and understand the specific water requirement and thus save this critical resource water. The IoT ena-bled pumps have given farmers full control to operate the entire system from their mobile phones ­ set the quantity of water to be pumped, time of watering his field, and also get a real-time report of the critical health parameters of the pump system. Servicing of the pumping systems is revolutionized as well with the use of IR and VR technologies, the farm-er is now being guided and trained to service his own pumps, irrespective of the model and the make, sitting right on his field. 3D printing has also made the pumps more efficient and cost-effective by making the design-ing process faster and more precise. Replacing a part now takes only hours compared to many days earlier due to 3D printing based designing that ex-pedites the entire process from design board stage to production line.Fortunately for our farmers, tech-nology is being used to make low-est life-cycle cost pumping systems, which are more long-lasting, low-maintenance and resilient, and hence cost effective in the long run.The agricultural industry is also adopting precision technology to im-prove productivity. Among various precision agricultural technology, drones are making a very prominent mark. Data on precise crop health can be monitored and recorded regularly using drones. Farmers can immedi-ately intervene, when required, thus ensuring better production. To ConcludeHeavy investments are being made in R&D efforts today, particularly focused on the development of such hi-tech yet cost and energy-efficient farm solutions that are suitable and convenient for all. By deploying smart pumps, the farmer is able to save on a critical resource and reduce his cost on water drastically. Without the need to be present 24x7 to monitor his watering systems also frees-up his valuable time to attend to other im-portant tasks such as buying or selling in mandis or in acquiring knowledge for better farming practices and im-proving his yield. Adaption of drone technology in agriculture is leading to ease of the process of production and enhanced productivity, both in terms of quality and quantity. Smart pumps automate and understand the specific water requirement and thus save this critical resource water
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