Kiwi team reshapes irrigation globally
NZ software engineers help bring to life Smart Pivot system
Agroup of software engineers are putting Manawatu¯ on the map by taking their technology to the world and transforming the agricultural industry one sensor at a time.
It began in 2007 with an idea and two Massey University graduates in a farmhouse in Colyton. Fifteen years later, seven Kiwi software engineers are now working for global irrigation and infrastructure company Lindsay Corporation from its new offices in The Square, Palmerston North.
The New Zealand-based team is a key contributor of innovation for Lindsay’s larger global operation, which spans five continents. Lindsay produces the Zimmatic brand of centre pivot irrigators and the FieldNET remote irrigation management platform. The goal is to reshape the efficiency and sustainability of irrigation worldwide.
The Kiwi team is led by Palmerston North-born software engineering team lead Mike Debney. He says Lindsay’s investment into software development in New Zealand recognises the calibre of talent we grow here.
“I’m a firm believer that tech is a growth industry for New Zealand. And when leading international companies like Lindsay invest in our people and our ideas, it demonstrates the confidence they have in our skills and expertise. We’re helping make one of our most valuable industries more profitable, productive, and sustainable. We should all be super proud of that.”
The open-plan layout of Lindsay’s Palmy office is in line with that used by the company globally. The working environment supports the company’s core values, behaviours and expectations around a culture of collaboration, openness and the One Lindsay spirit, Debney says.
“These things matter because we want our employees to feel like they are part of a team and one big family. It’s also about providing them with the best tech tools and encouraging innovative thinking so they can continue to do great things for our global agricultural sector.”
The New Zealand engineering team brought to life the proof-ofconcept for Lindsay’s Smart Pivot.
The irrigation solution looks to reduce risk and decrease downtime through innovative machine health capabilities such as continuously monitoring performance, detecting potential equipment issues, and automatically contacting a technician for maintenance and repair.
“Centre-pivot irrigators can be 700 metres or even longer and it can be hard for farmers to find where the issue is. With Smart Pivot we provide that information through sensors placed on each tower,” Debney says.
“They will tell you which tower requires attention or if there is an issue with tyre pressure or the motor.”
The Smart Pivot is controlled through the FieldNET remote irrigation management platform.
It allows farmers to monitor and control irrigation operations as well as view and implement daily, automated irrigation scheduling recommendations from virtually anywhere.
The New Zealand team has been working on a next-generation user interface for FieldNET, which will improve overall performance and usability as well as providing a solid base for future developments.
And it’s not just the agricultural sector benefiting. For the roading industry the team has helped develop RoadConnect. The system uses sensors inside roadside crash barriers to alert maintenance teams when the barriers are impacted.
The engineering team enjoy the challenge of creating technical solutions to make the users’ life simpler.
“The goal is to provide the best irrigation management experience in the world. Our unofficial team motto is to build cool stuff that helps make people’s lives easier,” Debney says.