Student’s invention gauges soil leaching risk
An 18-year-old student’s interest in protecting the environment will see him juggle university study with perfecting an invention to reduce soil leaching and protect waterways this year.
Bailey Lissington, of Timaru, placed second in the 2019 Bright Sparks Competition for a leaching sensor which gauges soil moisture, temperature pH levels, air pressure, and ultra violet levels. It attaches to fence posts and automatically uploads data to the Internet which can be checked anywhere, anytime.
Lissington continues to test the smart farm system in his own backyard – but, worried for the future of New Zealand’s waterways, he hopes to one day see it on farms across the country.
His goal as an inventor was to ‘‘improve processes already in place’’ by making them faster, cheaper, easier to operate, and more environmentally friendly.
‘‘I want to get into more industrial automation in the rise of environmental pressure.
‘‘That’s what all of my projects have had as a mutual theme.’’
As well as a soil leaching sensor, Lissington has invented an automated garden water manager and had a hand in designing a system which mitigates dust at the PrimePort Timaru – and he’s only just out of high school.
The former Timaru Boys’ High School student is heading to Christchurch this year to study towards a Bachelor of Engineering in mechatronics at the University of Canterbury, but he’s not severing ties with the South Canterbury town completely as he continues on as a cadet engineer for both PrimePort and electricity lines company Alpine Energy.
Lissington’s aim was to solve South Canterbury’s water overusage problem when he invented a system which, based on current environmental conditions, limits and controls the amount of water used on the garden – earning him a spot in the finals of the 2018 Bright Sparks.
And as a PrimePort cadet engineer, Lissington was part of the team that designed a ‘‘hopper system’’ to mitigate dust created when cranes move and drop grain.
‘‘This sensor picks up when a crane is nearby and turns on a sprinkler.’’
Lissington enjoyed engineering because it allowed him to ‘‘give back’’ to the community by solving problems.
‘‘If a TV breaks, I can fix it. It is quite good to be able to do that for friends and family. They appreciate it.’’
Lissington caught the inventing bug at 12 years old when he started taking apart old computers to make ‘‘better’’ ones.
‘‘I recycled a bunch of computers from relatives and from school.
‘‘I’d take them apart and test the components, fitting the ones that fit. I was able to make them for friends and family.’’