Intelligent Controlling Water Dispersal: Comparison between Mamdani and Conventional Approach

Adequacy of water supply plays a vital role in maintaining lawn health. Water need to be dispersed intelligently to provide a sufficient amount of moisture to the soil. Conventional system was investigated and it is found that the system used excessive amount of water and the amount dispersed may not be suitable for the moisture level of the lawn since it does not consider soil moisture based on weather condition. This research demonstrates the capability of fuzzy logic by developing a prototype namely, Fuzzy Water Dispersal Controller (FuziWDC). Rules were developed in Mamdani-style with normal fuzzy subsets using ranges suggested by the experts and later applied to a set of common Bermuda turfgrass. It is found that FuziWDC was particularly successful in controlling the water dispersal. Results were simulated in a graphical form and user would be notified about the dispersal time and day, the amount of water to use, and duration of dispersal. The prototype has performed better than the conventional irrigation system based on the lower annual average water usage for the whole year recorded. Key-Words: Dispersal Controller, Evapotranspiration, Fuzzy logic, Lawn, Mamdani Inferencing, and Tensiometer