OaSense: the Automatic, Intermittent Shower Head
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I developed OaSense (formerly nicknamed "Shower Sense") recently in an effort to help our family save water during the CA drought. The idea came to me in the shower one day, when I realized that a large proportion of shower time is spent doing things that don't actually require water to be running. For example, when you shampoo, you typically step out of the water path to do so. Leaving the water running at 2+ GPM over that period seemed akin to leaving the water on while one brushes his teeth: a definite faux-pas here in CA.
As I thought more about the idea, it seemed obvious that it would be worth pursuing seriously. Over the 3 months since, I've designed, tested, and thoroughly refined that initial idea into a product that I'm very proud of and that is now patent-pending. The OaSense uses a specially-tuned and carefully positioned proximity sensor paired with a low-power solenoid valve (a duo similar to what's used in airport faucets) to detect whether or not someone is underneath the shower head and cycle the water valve on or off accordingly. The device runs on 4 AA batteries that will keep it going for over 1 year of typical use (2-3 showers daily) without replacement. A button on the bottom can transform the "smart" shower head back into a standard one easily if needed. |
A video of the unit in action.
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OaSense users will never feel like Kramer does in this Seinfeld clip. Instead of sacrificing shower quality (a metric driven by water pressure and flow rate) throughout the duration of the shower, water is cut entirely (ultimate savings) -- but only when that water isn't being used anyway.
It's a smart shower head that nets ~30% or greater water savings relative to standard shower heads, but does so totally under your control and without negatively impacting your shower experience. So fear not: the pressure is great, the flow (when active) is normal, and that shampoo will come out of your hair! |