Got thinking a bit. Heres where we are at.
- The original conceptual design for the sprinkler module shown in Yarbo’s original kickstarter video back in 2022 showed the sprinkler module as a shower nozzle mounted on a module that could be aimed.
- The Sprinkler module yarbo released but never produced was a rear mounted module that was intended purely for watering grass, as the spray nozzles were at the bottom and misted only.
Personally, comparing the two to my possible use cases, the first design appealed to me far more, but at the same time I do understand the usefulness of the second design, and would propose a combination for a hopefully soon to be produced version.
Here is how I envision it: a rear mounted module (I love expanding the platform to do more at once/without exchanging modules) or a module that is pulled behind with the tow hitch, but is connected to Yarbo’s power. It has wheels to support a larger tank that would last for a reasonable amount of time as compared to a small tank with no support. Large wheels would be used to distribute weight over a large surface area. (If only being used to water grass out of the bottom, a non-powered mode where the wheels moving=watering open could be introduced.)
An internal mini pump pumps water from the bottom of the tank into a horizontal tube. A vertical tube intersects with the horizontal tube in a sizeways T shape. An internal valve powered by a small servo motor diverts the pressurized water either up or down.
Down are the nozzles that that spew out the water in thin streams spaced 1/5in (1/2cm) apart with minimal force as there are so many of them along the width of the unit. (The possibility of extensions of the pieces releasing these small streams for more efficient watering of grass beyond the width of the unit, even to 2-3 times the width may prove useful in some cases, but impossible for small areas, so manually attached extensions may be necessary.)
When the water is diverted upwards, it is released in a strong stream with the option of a 15 foot away strong jet stream or a 5 foot away shower stream. For mapping, if it requires you to perfectly set the Yarbo to the locations you wish to hit, while tedious it will mean zero room for inaccurate estimations. Internal knowledge knows a certain period of time = certain amount of water released for the upper nozzle, allowing in app settings of the precise amount of water to be released in each location. The Yarbo moves, not the nozzle on top, minimizing any lack of watertightness. If the nozzle faces the rear, it would require the sprinkler module to have sensors and vision in the rear however if it was aimed forward the front cameras could be used. For future rear modules, I would propose a piece that universally fits over all of them that has all sensors and cameras built in, minimizing module price by avoiding the most costly parts, and making every intelligent component easily upgradable in the future if need be.
For refilling, it’s actually quite simple. Your hose attachment on the side if your house will always be on, and will have a watertight Yarbo makes attachment easily screwed on. When Yarbo needs to refill, it precisely parks under this attachment that’s made out of simple plastic similar to when it docks for charging. This attachment perfectly aligns with the moderately sized open top section of the module (that also promotes drying to minimize mold and allows you to mix in liquid fertilizer easily) when docked, and a small piece on the module presses into the attachment on the water spout when aligned to release the water, which is done until the Yarbo is full, which is determined with a a simple weight measurement by the internals of the module, which is also how it determines when the tank is empty (essentially a scale embedded in the bottom of the module).
This simple, largely tech absent setup allows for effective watering of trees and plants in flower beds with precise amounts of water, the ability to irrigate grass effectively, the ability to include liquid fertilizer in your irrigation, and the ability for Yarbo to run truly hands free while completing yet another task.
I look forward to hearing the thoughts of the community and would be happy to draw up some simple diagrams if there is any interest. I hope to speed up the process of innovation on this lovely autonomous platform. @Yarbo-Forum if you wouldn’t mind passing this on to R&D that would be just delightful, and if they have any questions or would like to meet I’d be happy to. Thanks!