Innovation Lab

What is FLOWBASE?

FLOWBASE is an autonomous control and safety system designed for hose reel irrigation machines (irrigation drums) used by farmers. Normally, these irrigation machines require the farmer to be physically present in the field to manually open and close the main water valve. This is inconvenient, time-consuming, and often impossible when farmers manage many fields at the same time.

FLOWBASE upgrades this traditional system by replacing the manual main valve with an automated central valve that can be controlled remotely and can also operate automatically based on water pressure conditions. The core problem it solves The main challenge with hose reel irrigation machines today is that irrigation can only be started or stopped manually at the water inlet. This forces the farmer to travel to the field every time irrigation needs to begin or end, even if the field is far away or multiple systems are running in different locations.

FLOWBASE solves this by allowing the farmer to remotely open and close the central irrigation valve, meaning irrigation can be started or stopped instantly from a distance, without physical presence on-site. This saves time, reduces unnecessary travel, and gives farmers much more flexibility and control over daily irrigation operations. In addition, the system can also provide automatic safety shutdown in cases of low water pressure, further protecting irrigation quality.

Key Benefits

FLOWBASE helps farmers by providing:

• Remote start and stop of irrigation (via mobile/4G connection)

• No need to travel to the field just to open or close the valve

• Better daily control of multiple irrigation units

• Automatic protection against low-pressure situations

• Reduced water waste and improved irrigation consistency

• A scalable solution that can be installed on existing hose reel machines

The system is offered in different editions depending on the farm’s needs:

• Core edition (basic remote valve control and protection)

• Solar edition (full off-grid operation with solar power)

• Vision edition (camera supervision)

• Control edition (advanced hydraulic management such as venting)

• Pro edition (PLC-based industrial control for demanding installations)

Product Versions

Business goal

The goal is to turn this from a custom engineering project into a standardized product that can be installed on many irrigation machines. Farmers have already shown strong interest, and pilot systems are operating successfully. This is a scalable product opportunity in the agricultural irrigation market. FLOWBASE is being developed under ShipAirVac Innovation Lab, applying marine-grade reliability and safety principles to agricultural irrigation.