Environmental Sensing - eKo Style

This past month, Crossbow displayed the award-winning eKo system at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco. The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a group of members consisting mainly of Earth and space scientists who study how rocks, water, air, space, and life interact with each other to understand how the global system works. What they learn increases our sense of wonder, encourages us to ask new questions, and allows us to make wise use of Earth's many resources. This particular event draws upwards of 16,000 geophysicists from all around the world who meet to review the latest issues affecting the Earth, the planets and their environments. The eKo system provides a key new alternative by which scientists and researchers can gather data from their environment with an ease and efficiency previously unavailable. The event provided a wonderful venue to meet customers, inspire new ideas and most importantly educate others in the use of wireless sensor networks.

The Mebius Sensor Project is aimed at sensing the natural environment of Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC). Researchers at SFC have deployed 15 wireless eKo sensor nodes with temperature, humidity and illuminance sensors on the circumference of the campus. Each sensor node has a solar battery panel, and is a part of a larger multi-hop network that covers a broad area. The Mebius Sensor system is designed to be a platform of various ubiquitous computing applications such as enhancing people’s awareness of their natural environment.

Fig.1: Mebius Sensor in SFC

Research Goal

Researchers were determined to create a campus sensing platform for ubiquitous services.

• Services that enhance our awareness of the natural environment
• Services that inspire a discussion on the environment

Challenges

• Easy deployment of the sensor
• Flexible spatiotemporal query of the past sensor data
• Real-time delivery of the sensor data to the services
• Inter-campus cooperation of the sensor networks

Plan and Schedule

The Mebius project plans to cover the whole SFC canpus with 15 sensor poles. Each node has the capability to transmit data up to 2 miles offering a large coverage area and a greater level of detail regarding the various micro environments.

Fig.2: Map of Mebius Sensor in SFC

Available on Twitter

Researchers at SFC have integrated the data collected with popular social media applications such as Twitter. Subscribers can see the temperature on Twitter every hour. Follow mebius_sensor on Twitter.

Fig.3: Mebius Sensor on Twitter

Detail of the Sensor Pole

The Mebius sensor utilized Crossbow's eKo node for its sensor platform. Each node included a solar radiation sensor and a temperature and humidity sensor.

Fig.4: Detail of the Sensor Pole

The Mebius Sensor Project provides a glimpse into basic applications for which eKo has been used. The system can be found frozen in ice, under dense canopies, on tree trunks, bobbing on buoys ... anywhere sensing is needed eKo can be found, silently taking Earth's pulse.

Trillions

 
This video was brought to our attention by our friends at the WSN Blog. It looks ahead to the future of computer sensing networks and was created by Maya, who worked closely with Crossbow on the eKo system.

As we continue to scale the mountain, we are constantly forging ahead looking for ways to connect the physical world with the digital world through wireless sensor networks.

eKo Environmental System Expanded with Long Range Node

Crossbow Technology Adds High Range Capability to eKo Pro Series

SAN JOSE, Calif.--Crossbow Technology, Inc. (www.xbow.com/eko), a leading supplier of wireless sensor technology and cutting-edge environmental monitoring solutions, announced today the release of the EN2120 eKo Long Range Node. With the communication range between nodes extending up to 2 miles, the eKo Long Range node is the only true mesh wireless solution with this ability, increasing the coverage area four to five times that of other wireless solutions.

“The eKo system and specifically the new EN2120 Long Range Node allows users to gather data from a larger area with less nodes thereby reducing their installation costs and simultaneously expanding their coverage area,” said Jack Coots of Iris Connection, Inc. “In the Central Valley users have large fields and orchards making this capability crucial to enable complete cost-effective monitoring of their planted acreage.”

The Long Range Node addresses deployments with substantial areas, dense canopies and remote locations enhancing the capability of the standard eKo Node while still using the same form factor and solar recharging scheme. The eKo system provides users with the ability to collect data from multiple points through their entire site providing a micro level of detail regarding various critical parameters affecting their environment instead of relying on information from a single point.

“Using the eKo Long Range Node, we have been able to collect real-time data over a large area of the reserve with fewer nodes,” said Mike Hamilton, Reserve Director at the University of California Blue Oak Ranch Reserve. “Regardless of the varying terrain, wildlife, and vegetation, we were able to quickly and easily install the eKo system and collect vital data pertaining to our ecological and environmental research.” 

Pricing and Availability 

The eKo Pro Series System and related sensors including the new EN2120 Long Range Node is priced competitively. The system is immediately available for purchase from select distributors and online directly at www.xbow.com/eko. Sales inquiries may be directed to eKo.sales@xbow.com.

The Business Value of Wireless Sensor Networks

Crossbow's advancements in the field of wireless sensor networks was recently featured in the current issue of M2M Magazine. The article deals with the business value of wireless sensor networks and how information derived from WSNs have a powerful effect on the way companies are making decisions in today's world. Here is an excerpt from the article:

A WSN consists of spatially distributed autonomous devices using sensors to cooperatively monitor physical or environmental conditions, such as temperature, sound, vibration, pressure, motion, or pollutants at different locations. Each node in a sensor network is typically equipped with a radio transceiver or other wireless communications device, a small microcontroller, and an energy source, usually a battery. The size of a sensor node can vary from shoebox-size to the size of a grain of dust.

Even in this economy, companies are finding it easy to make the case for investing in sensor networking. Shana Farley, Marketing Manager, Crossbow Technologies, www.xbow.com, San Jose, Calif., concurs, saying, “Companies will see significant ROI on their WSN investments because the data they are collecting and analyzing is usually in the interest of saving money on consumption, resources, manpower, equipment, etc.”

Crossbow Technology has seen its solution used in typical scenarios such as predictive maintenance on machinery to more unique applications, such as monitoring endangered species, measuring the force of a running horse at the Kentucky Derby, and determining drought conditions in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

The company’s eKo Pro Series was developed for environmental monitoring. At least four sensors can be attached to one eKo Node. Once customized to a client’s specific monitoring needs, the eKo Nodes form a wireless sensor network. A base radio with standard antenna serves as a collection point, receiving data from the deployed eKo Nodes. Field data is then transmitted to the plug-and-play eKo Gateway, a self-contained embedded Linux-based Web server device. The Gateway is pre-installed with eKoView, a secure Web interface, for viewing real-time data, running reports, and setting up alerts.

For the data to be useful, a reaction must be triggered. “It might be that a perimeter intrusion automatically turns on a camera or that a sprinkler is turned off when a moisture threshold is achieved in a crop field,” says Farley.

Wireless sensor networks are opening up a new world of monitoring, just as wireless phones did for the telecommunications industry. They are enabling companies to transform their businesses. “The main idea behind WSN is that information that was so difficult to collect in the past is so easy to get today,” says Farley. “You can collect data and make smarter decisions. You do not need wires or a person collecting data 24/7. The idea is to connect the physical world with the digital world through wireless sensor networks.”

To view the full article, visit the M2M site here or for more information on Crossbow's wireless sensor networking products, click here. M2M refers to machine-to-machine communications through remote monitoring, RFID, sensor networking, smart services, telematics, and telemetry.

Environmental Sensor Bus® Capability for eKo System Revealed

ESB® Solution to Easily Integrate External Sensors with Crossbow’s eKo Series

Crossbow Technology, Inc. announced the release of ESB® development platforms for the innovative eKo system at the Coastal Environmental Sensor Networks Conference today. The plug-and-play ESB (Environmental Sensor Bus) architecture provides users with the flexibility to add a wide range of sensors to the eKo system with ease analogous to USB (Universal Sensor Bus), the architecture used worldwide to connect devices to a host computer. The ESB capability allows users to quickly and effortlessly customize the rugged system by integrating smart and custom sensors for their own applications whether it be groundwater contamination or wildfire monitoring.

“Scientists at UMass Boston Center for Coastal Environmental Sensing Networks (CESN) have been researching the development of ‘smart’ sensor networks for observing interactions of coastal systems in order to help manage our coastal resources and solve current and future coastal problems,” said Francesco Peri, Managing Director of CESN. “The ease with which we integrated our own salinity sensors and fluorometers enabled us to start gathering vital data about the areas around Boston Harbor with minimal infrastructure. The eKo real-time system is an ideal platform to bridge the land-water sensor network barrier and is helping us to detect hot spots and hot moments.”

The eKo system is a miniaturized, solar-powered outdoor wireless monitoring system that enables users to quickly and easily set up a wireless communication infrastructure that can be customized to meet their application’s specific deployment needs. The ability to take a solution and use it for pollution detection while at the same time having it deployed for irrigation management showcases the versatility of eKo and the breakthrough it has made for any outdoor wireless monitoring requirement. The new ESB® line features the ES9000, ES9100 and ES9200 all designed to enable the specific interface for the diverse sensors that can be integrated with the eKo solution.

“The applications into which the eKo system can be deployed are virtually limitless,” stated Dr. Alan Broad, Crossbow’s Director of Environmental Products. “With ESB users can interface sensors to monitor pollutants creating chemical fences, measure vibration to verify structural integrity and even set up warning systems for landslides.”

For more information and to order the ESB Development platforms, click here.

For more information on CESN, click here.

eKo System Wins Best New Product of the Year at 6th Annual International Business Awards

Crossbow's eKo™ product line was awarded the top honor of Best New Product of the Year -Manufacturing in the 2009 International Business Awards. The International Business Awards are the only global, all-encompassing business awards program honoring great performances in business.

Crossbow’s eKo system outshone others in the category as the concept, reality and benefits of the solution reflected the viability and need for high technology in the green industry. eKo™ brings the reality of the smart environment to farmers and environmentalists alike and is the tool that has initiated greater insight into environmental research, crop monitoring, smart water grids, conservation, water quality, pollution detection, etc. The small ruggedized system employs a mesh network of wireless sensors easily deployed to gather essential knowledge and vital live data via a standard internet browser.

Recipients of an International Stevie Award were selected from more than 1,700 entries received from organizations and individuals in more than 30 countries. Members of the Awards' Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors and their staffs selected International Stevie winners from among the Finalists, which were determined by volunteer judges around the world during two months of preliminary judging. A complete list of honorees and other details are available here.

eKo System Enhanced with Weather Station Sensor Suite

Crossbow Technology Releases Vital Environmental Data Package for eKo node

San Jose, Calif.-- Crossbow Technology, Inc. (www.xbow.com), a leading supplier of wireless sensor technology and cutting-edge environmental monitoring solutions, announced today the release of the new ES2000 Weather Station Sensor Suite. Designed to interface with the revolutionary eKo system, the addition of this sensor suite provides growers with access to vital information regarding the conditions affecting their environment.

The ES2000 weather sensor suite allows users to not only monitor real-time conditions, but predict weather patterns that may affect their crops. This solar powered solution provides an integrated sensor suite including a rain collector, temperature/humidity sensors, anemometer providing wind speed and wind direction, solar radiation and barometric pressure.

“Combining the data gained from our Weather Sensor Suite and the eKo system’s fundamental features provides growers with easy access to information related to irrigation control, frost protection, evapotranspiration, and plant disease conditions,” said Russ Heilig, Vice President of Business Development at Davis Instruments who collaborated with Crossbow on the development and integration of the Weather Station Sensor Suite. “The solar powered eKo node has enhanced the wireless telemetry potential of the standard weather station permitting growers to access data from remote locations within their field from anywhere in the world.”

Using only a single port on the eKo Node, users can maximize their sensor data collection by adding additional sensors such as soil moisture, leaf wetness, etc. to gain greater knowledge about their environment’s conditions. The eKo system provides users with the ability to collect data from multiple points through their entire site providing a micro level of detail regarding various critical parameters instead of relying on information from a single point.

“Water is today’s critical issue. Having the ability to measure ET (evapotranspiration) with the ES2000, collect soil moisture data and understand the soil’s water content through a single system like the eKo Pro Series allows users to make intelligent decisions about their water and how it should be distributed,” stated Lowell Zelinski, renowned vineyard consultant and owner of Precision Ag, Crossbow’s premier distributor in Paso Robles, CA. Zelinski continued, “Having access to this type of data removes some of the guesswork related to irrigation management and frost protection. Growers are able to combine data from their weather station and other sensors, track the historical data and make informed predictions about emerging conditions.”

Pricing and Availability

The eKo Pro Series System and related sensors including the new ES2000 is priced competitively. The system is immediately available for purchase from select distributors and online directly at www.xbow.com with the ES2000 pre-release available in late fall. Sales inquiries may be directed to eKo.sales@xbow.com.

eKo network at NRS reserves pioneer new ways to observe Earth!

Crossbow's revolutionary eKo system was featured in the Spring/Summer Edition of Transect. The main article focuses on the implementation of sensor networks for observation. The eKo system is being used to monitor the microclimates of the various wetlands at the Blue Oak Ranch Reserve. The goal of the deployment is to collect detailed and accurate measurements about the environment to track changes, but also determine how these changes affect the plant life and various species within that ecosystem.

Reserve Director Mike Hamilton was looking to draw on the Blue Oak Ranch Reserves proximity to the Silicon Valley to collaborate on this product development and stated how products from Crossbow and other technology companies have been deployed, "...to show different applications for the tools and relevant
applications... so we’re teaming them with faculty and students from UC Merced to monitor wetlands that support salamander populations by deploying sensor networks to measure the changes in rainfall, soil moisture, water depth, and some of the chemical parameters of the water, such as salinity, that vary
across the reserve’s ponds, depending on soil type and water source. They all have different populations of amphibians, and they’re going to be different from pond to pond, so if we can set up these test beds in a few different wetlands, we can do comparisons across the reserve. We also want to test the reliability of the systems because, in the future, the reserves will want to pick those that prove their worth.”

Using various soil moisture sensors and ambient temperature/humidity sensors with the eKo node, researchers are able to gather valuable data quickly and easily. With its ecofriendly solar-panel and weatherproof enclosure, the eKo system takes technology into the wild! Using the advancements in networking technology, engineers and scientists working at the University of California, NRS reserves are playing a key role in the global discovery occurring through monitoring. The "Alpha Node" tower at Blue Oak Ranch provides information about data above ground and underground. As Hamilton states, "It’s a solar-powered weather station, but it’s also a wireless relay point that links the Lick Observatory [owned and operated by UC and located on nearby Mt. Hamilton*] to a directional Wi-Fi radio that points down to the barn, providing us with Internet access. And this omni-directional antenna plugs into the router on the tower to create a large Wi-Fi cloud on the top of the hill that’s strong enough to get a signal down to the pond and the stream at the foot of the hill, so researchers will be able to monitor these locations using portable wireless environmental sensing systems.”

Much of this work is based on the CENS research done at the James Reserve. This research has had a major influence on ecological observatory networks throughout the world. “It’s such a huge field of integration of interdisciplinary science between engineers and computer scientists and environmental scientists,” notes Hamilton. “It seems that everyone is doing sensor networks today...There’s a lot of growth right now in using sensor systems for precision agriculture, ranging from viticulture to golf course irrigations. Those seem to be the big areas where embedded-sensing and mesh networks are playing out. Our field, ecological monitoring of microclimates across a diverse landscape, is a niche market." Hamilton discusses how these deployments reflect the change in sensor networks from engineering projects to commercial off-the-shelf solutions such as the eKo platform.  

To read the full Transect article visit the NRS site here. For more information on the eKo system contact Crossbow or click here.

Ways to Save Water

Crossbow's eKo system was prominently featured in the Press Democrat this week. The article highlights the importance of irrigation management and water conservation as well as the use of stress irrigation to grow higher quality grapes. Several systems were installed in Napa's Alexander Valley to highlight the benefits of using water monitoring systems. Crossbow's eKo system was one of these solutions.

To view the entire article, click here.

Six different irrigation systems are being installed side by side in an Alexander Valley vineyard in a demonstration of water conservation.

“We are looking at deep irrigation versus shallow, night versus day, one emitter per vine versus two,” said Mark Greenspan of Advanced Viticulture of Santa Rosa, a grower’s consulting firm.

The concept is to reduce water use by 10 to 20 percent, a conservation goal that is increasingly important this year as the North Coast suffers through another drier-than-normal year.

“I think it’s very valuable, potentially,” said Nick Frey, president of the Sonoma County Wine Grape Commission. “People change farming practices when they are convinced they can do it and it is not risky. If you can show that they can reduce water and produce a good grape crop, it is very valuable.”

The project at Hoot Owl Creek Vineyard is being financed by the Sonoma County Water Agency. The agency this year is under a proposed state order to reduce summertime flows in the Russian River and cut the amount of water it takes from the river by 25 percent to conserve water in Lake Mendocino for the fall salmon run. The state Water Resources Control Board is also proposing that conservation goals of 50 percent be set for Mendocino County and 25 percent for Sonoma County, and irrigating commercial turf be banned.

Grape growers farm about 60,000 acres in Mendocino County and in Alexander and Russian River valleys in Sonoma County. They use a third of the water in the Russian River watershed, according to water agency officials.

Greenspan believes that growers routinely over-irrigate vineyards, irrigating once a week for eight hours, using about eight gallons per vine. But that water goes too deep, soaking the soil past the root system. Roots go down as much as three feet in the soils that are common in the Russian River watershed, Greenspan said.

“You will lose a lot of water below the root system,” Greenspan said. “We want to stress the vines to produce good grapes, but not over-stress. We want less water and more often.”

Greenspan said his irrigation method has been used in a Beaulieu Vineyard ranch in Napa County for the past year, and saves 10 to 20 percent in water use. At Hoot Owl Creek Vineyard, the different irrigating systems are being installed on a half-acre plot of eight-year-old cabernet sauvignon vines. Moisture and temperature sensors will be used to monitor the soil and grapes in real time. The measurements will be sent by solar-powered transmitters from the vineyard to an Internet site, where they will be available for anyone to see.

By BOB NORBERG

To truly understand the return on investment (ROI) growers can expect to receive from using a water system management tool like the eKo platform, growers can use the eKo ROI calculator to determine how much they would need to spend to outfit their vineyard with the eKo solution and the time period during which their payback would be realized. For more information on the eKo system, visit Crossbow's site. To input your data and determine your return on investment click on the calculator below:

 

Who said it ain't easy being green?

It seems that everywhere you turn you are being encouraged to go green. I hung out with a friend the other day and she was wearing a shirt that said 'Green is the new black.' The idea of being environmentally friendly has taken our world by storm. The Discovery channel brought us Planet Earth to give us a closer look at the different environments on our planet and how little by little we are altering and damaging it. Musicians from around the world held a 24 hour concert called Live Earth to capture an audience of millions and educate them on how to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. There are more and more hybrid cars on the road and most products you buy sport the small leaf logo advertising that they are environmentally conscious. President Obama has assembled a dream team of environmental experts and specialists to focus on clean energy and climate change issues.

If you look around, you realize that our society is truly looking to conserve resources and use the technology and knowledge we have to ensure we are saving the Earth. Crossbow's eKo platform is a truly breakthrough product that revolutionizes the way we use the resources in our environment. Imagine saving water but increasing your yield and the quality of your harvest? The eKo platform is a device that not only stems from the knowledge and genius of taking any environment and making it smart, but also from knowledge of our world and how it works. The ease with which the nodes can be deployed favors leaving an environment intact without having to run wires and cables disrupting the natural flow all around. The system has been deployed in various applications ranging from the standard vineyard/ orchard/ crop monitoring, to greenhouse gas monitoring in nurseries, to measuring the snow pack/run-off to determine what type of drought conditions regions can anticipate, to structural integrity, to water level measurements, to contamination of watersheds for environmental protection and much, much more.

As we continue to see this product deployed around the world, the consistent theme is that the platform is so easy to use and leaves users with a higher understanding of the their environment. By integrating the various sensors offered with the eKo platform, users can determine when disease conditions could occur. Instead of having to spray chemicals over their entire crop, growers can pinpoint which block, row or plant is in danger. By knowing and monitoring the environmental parameters that cause these conditions, not only can they be avoided but the use of unnatural elements and chemicals can be prevented preserving the natural state of the area. The ability to gather this data, analyze it and make decisions is all available in the eKoView web application that comes free with the eKo system. Bringing this type of data collection to the internet has transformed the notion of connecting with the world around you. It is truly an eKo-centric solution to the environmental issues we face today. It seems fitting that this type of technology would come from a company based in the San Francisco Bay Area, city of St. Francis patron saint of the environment, and the heart of the Silicon Valley known for its high technology advancements.

Today as we recognize Earth Day it is important for people to embrace the new technologies looking to preserve and help conserve our planet's resources. A system like eKo provides users with a solar powered wireless device thus removing the need for battery replacement and disposal. It's sealed enclosure allows it to weather the elements ranging from snow covered mountains to the heat of the California sun. It's ability to interface many types of sensors make it a requisite part of any environmental monitoring deployment. eKo provides a platform that can be used to create smart water grids, detect air pollution, do conservation studies, perform chemical detection, ensure water quality, monitor urban environments, etc. The ability to capture data in these and many more applications wirelessly and easily will help us move towards a future Earth that is cared for and that can be healed with proper conservation of its resources. Thanks to the convergence of technology and environmental awareness in eKo - It is finally easy to be green!

For more information on the eKo system, contact Crossbow Technology at eko.sales@xbow.com or at 1-800-XBOW-TEC.