Press release
AST Receives U.S. Utility Patent For Wireless Soil Sensor in Record Time
AST RECEIVES U.S. UTILITY PATENT FOR
WIRELESS SOIL SENSOR IN RECORD TIME
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (December 4, 2008) – It’s not often that an invention moves swiftly through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. But it can happen. Such was the case when Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc. (AST), a leading environmental technology company, applied for an accelerated patent for its wireless soil monitoring sensor. Seventy-six days later, the patent was approved.
“We believe this to be one of the fastest utility patents issued in U.S. history,” said Walt Norley, Founder and CEO of AST. “That tells us several things. Not only does it say that the design and engineering of our wireless soil sensor are protectable, but it also indicates that our business is moving forward with technology that is a significant advancement for environmental and water conservation efforts.”
Norley said the patent also gives AST its rightful stake in the marketplace. “Now, no other company can claim that it has wireless sensor technology which utilizes our unique features. AST is the sensor technology company, and that is what separates us from Toro and others that are manufacturing hundreds of different products like tractors, mowers and irrigation heads,” he said.
AST’s wireless soil monitoring technology is an in-ground system that operates via a wireless mesh network. It provides reliable, real-time measurement of soil moisture, temperature and salinity, which results in water savings and the reduced use of fertilizers and pesticides. The technology has applications for the turf (golf courses and sporting venues), landscaping, agriculture and environmental industries.
According to Jeff Campbell, Ph.D., AST’s Vice President of Sensor Development, the wireless capability is what took sensor technology to the next level. “I’ve been working in sensor development for 20 years, and I can say without a doubt that our wireless sensor design provides an unparalleled capture of measurement for moisture, temperature and salinity,” he said.
Campbell added, “There is a significant differential with this new sensor as compared to anything else in the turf market, and specifically with its precision and reliability in any soil type. Since too much salt kills turf and too much water creates disease, the ability to know exactly what is happening in the soil at any moment means turf growth can be managed in a more intelligent way.”
Norley added that in addition to this utility patent for the specific sensor technology, additional patents are pending for AST’s wireless soil monitoring method. “Our R&D work continues, too, as our team of agronomists and engineers develop new sensors that will expand our system’s capabilities to include measurement of variables like phosphates, nitrates, nutrients and specific contaminants,” he said.
About Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc. (AST)
Headquartered in King of Prussia, Pa., Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc. (AST) is a national environmental technology company that designs, manufactures and markets innovative, wireless soil sensor systems. This hardware, software and analytical technology allows users to measure soil conditions in the root zone on a real time basis to optimize their irrigation and fertigation programs. The results include: less water used, less fertilizers and pesticides applied, less stress on supplies of critical natural resources like water and energy, and dramatic cost benefits for users.
For more information on AST, visit www.AdvancedSensors.com.
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