Tackling Water Scarcity Through Sound

Radical Humanities Laboratory researcher Stephen Roddy has developed a system that uses sound to represent soil-moisture data to support effective irrigation in contexts where water resources are scarce. 

The research explores a simple question: what if we could hear when soil needs water rather than constantly having to check a screen? 
The prototype provides real-time auditory feedback allowing a user to monitor soil moisture levels during irrigation. It also provides a retrospective record of logged data values for identifying broader soil-moisture trends over time. The system is designed to support more effective irrigation practices that reduce the risk of water wastage through surface runoff and deep percolation. The work is published in Cambridge Prisms: Water an open-access journal focused on sustainable water management and engineering practices.

Read more here: https://doi.org/10.1017/wat.2026.10033 

For more on this story contact:

sroddy@ucc.ie