This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
There's Internet-based remote-control systems for thermostats, home security cameras and porch lights, so why not for sprinkler systems?
Alpine-based Skydrop believes that's exactly what homeowners need, a way to control the watering of their lawn from wherever they are. So this week, at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the new startup introduced the Skydrop Controller, a $300 device that controls an automatic sprinkler system through the Internet. Skydrop is expected to go on sale sometime this spring.
The Skydrop is connected to the sprinkler system and also to the home's Wi-Fi network. You then can control the sprinkler's time and duration through the remote control or via an app on a smartphone or tablet. You also can control it through the web on a desktop computer.
The system also can be set to automatically water the lawn based on real-time weather reports. So if it begins to rain, Skydrop will know to automatically turn off the sprinklers.
"At Skydrop we believe that great products simplify your life. Hidden under an incredibly simple to use interface is powerful technology that determines when your landscape requires watering," Clark Endrizzi, co-founder of Skydrop, said in a statement.
Skydrop was one of more than 40 Utah tech companies that showed off products at the four-day CES, which ended Friday.
Twitter: @ohmytech