The smart sprinkler from OtO Lawn
OtO Inc.
Generation Y, also known as Millennials, is driving a surge in lawn and garden maintenance, say the folks at OtO Lawn, a tech startup with two corporations.
Are you one of those born between 1981 and 1996? Or maybe someone from another generation with an outside area that needs watering? Toronto-based OtO Inc. says data suggests millennials are lawning and gardening more than ever when they start buying houses and moving out of the city.
Even during the pandemic, more and more people started gardening. Sales of building materials and garden tools reportedly increased 14% in 2020. Scotts Miracle-Gro aired its very first Super Bowl ad that year.
Ali Sabti, the founder of OtO, says his startup is ready to step in and help people who are new to gardening or just looking for a greener (and easier) way to get their jobs done using the same cloud-connected technology that you are used to at home (or at least on your smartphone).
The intelligent lawn sprinkler from OtO Lawn is connected to your garden hose and executes a weather-intelligent water plan that you can program with this smartphone.
You can also control the flow of water and set custom zones, skip walkways and patios, the company says.
Walkways and terraces must not be watered? What about roads?
That could be a question asked by people with regular drag-around or floor sprinklers. OtO’s device can also be used to apply naturally derived fertilizers.
According to Sabti, OtO has grown despite being launched on the cusp of COVID in 2019. The company is reportedly in talks with major retailers and distributors across North America. OtO Lawn is now available for pre-order. The production model will ship this spring and a range of fertilizers and pest control solutions made from natural sources will be launched shortly afterwards.
According to math on the startup’s website, the total cost to purify equipment and water for the product over two seasons is $ 973 for a 2,800 square foot lawn.
That’s compared to nearly $ 1,200 for a do-it-yourself approach and nearly $ 4,500 for a professional in-ground irrigation system.
A single OtO device costs $ 399 and covers 2,800 square feet or a radius of about 9 feet from the nozzle. The price is $ 749 for two units and $ 999 for three. You can find more answers on a FAQ page.
Sabti says there are approximately 60 early release sprinklers in operation in the wild in California, Texas, and Florida. During test runs, the company learned, among other things, that auxiliary solar accessories had to be offered for shady courtyard areas. The foot-high, 4-inch wide, and 16-inch long sprinkler units are typically powered by a top-mounted solar panel.
OtO founder Ali Sabti
OtO Inc.
“We want to enter the backyard by solving the irrigation problem in an inexpensive and environmentally sustainable way,” he says. “Once a customer is on our platform, the simplicity and effectiveness of the treatments will drive our growth and sales. As we continue to grow, our mission is to bring smarter outdoor products to market to further blend technology and nature. “
According to statistics from the US Environmental Protection Agency, OtO is said to use 50% less water than conventional irrigation. That’s because it uses weather-smart schedules (no watering when it rains or winds) and reduces waste by avoiding those sidewalks and patios. OtO also conforms to the unique shape of a user’s lawn.
Additionally, the technology puts soil nutrition first, says Sabti.
“Healthy, nutrient-rich soil requires less water to produce lush, green plants. We want to turn people’s lawn into an ecosystem by using only natural products that nourish the soil rather than blasting it with chemicals.
“The result is comparable to regular exercise and taking vitamins instead of blasting your body with drugs when you get sick. It’s the little things that add up. “
What else?
The intelligent lawn sprinkler OtO Lawn can also kill mosquitoes.
“Users can simply add the mosquito control solution to the device and program it to spray the solution around their yard to kill mosquito eggs and prevent them from getting into the area,” says Sabti. “The solution is made from botanical oils, so it’s completely safe for other organisms, including bees.
“With people talking more than ever in their garden due to the pandemic, we believe this feature will be of great help in making their outdoor areas more comfortable without compromising the safety of the natural ecosystem.”
OtO is pronounced like “auto”, as in automatically or autopilot.
OtO Inc.
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