Congratulations to the EDDI team for taking the $100,000 first prize in Samsung’s ‘Makers against Drought Challenge’.
The global contest received more than 500 ideas for open innovation projects involving IoT (internet of things) technology to solve such tricky challenges as water scarcity.
The winning team is comprised of six New York-based developers and their submission was an ElectroDialysis Desalinator for Irrigation (EDDI) system. It enables farmers to separate salt from water before they irrigate their crops. This lets them use only the necessary amount of water for maximum crop yield.
“We’re a small group of friends who care deeply about solving global problems with technology,” said Jesse Lee, EDDI developer team lead. “Working with the SAMSUNG ARTIK™ platform was a great experience for us, as it provided a giant canvas to create a system of infinite possibility.”
Other ideas to pick up prize money included a system that can save each household 200 gallons of water per month. It does this by saving water that is usually wasted while people wait for the bath and shower water to get hot.
In total, the contest gave away $210,500 in prize money.
Motivated by California Drought
Samsung decided to turn its attention to drought after seeing the severe water shortages during the California drought that started in 2011. It was one of the most devastating droughts in the state’s history. During three winters (from2011/12 to 2013/14) statewide precipitation was at its second lowest level since records began in 1895.
For more information about the global open innovation contest, click here.