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Voices from the Community is a series showcasing how I-SENSE research translates from the lab into the community to create real, local impact. From smart cities and public infrastructure to healthcare innovation and defense, these stories highlight how collaborative partnerships bring sensing technologies to life in communities across South Florida and beyond. Building relationships with local governments, nonprofits, neighborhood groups, private organizations and more is the key to making our research meaningful, actionable and embedded in the communities it aims to serve.

Innovation often begins close to home. In South Florida, I-SENSE and — a Palm Beach County–based company that produces irrigation equipment for homes, sports fields, commercial properties and municipalities in more than 30 countries — are turning new ideas into technologies used around the world.

The connection began several years ago through the Palm Beach County Business Development Board, which introduced K-Rain president Chip Kah to I-SENSE executive director Jason Hallstrom.

“At the time, I-SENSE had developed a patent related to generating electricity with a water turbine while accurately measuring water flow,” Kah said. “That subtlety was right up our alley.”

K-Rain had already been exploring new approaches to irrigation control systems, including remote monitoring and power generation for distributed infrastructure. The introduction opened the door for the company and I-SENSE researchers to explore how those ideas could move from concept to real-world products.

Working together, the teams developed a battery-powered irrigation controller designed to make systems easier and more reliable for contractors to manage in the field. The device allows irrigation infrastructure to be monitored and adjusted remotely, reducing the need for time-consuming site visits.

“In our industry, contractors don’t want to double back,” Kah said. “Reliability and ease of use are everything.”

The controller has now been on the market for three years and continues to gain market share internationally.

The collaboration has since expanded across multiple projects, including work spanning wireless technologies such as Bluetooth, LoRa and cellular systems. Through that work, K-Rain has connected with the broader engineering community at FAU, leading to additional collaborations within the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

K-Rain also recently joined the advisory board for the helping inform future research directions at the intersection of infrastructure, sensing and connected systems.

For Kah, the collaboration also underscores the value of having strong research expertise within the region.

“I-SENSE brought a local resource for both software and hardware development,” he said. “Having that kind of expertise right here in our backyard has been an incredible asset.”

As irrigation systems become increasingly connected, the partnership continues to evolve. K-Rain recently introduced a new generation of controllers using LTE connectivity, enabling remote management anywhere within cellular coverage and expanding the possibilities for smarter water infrastructure.

For South Florida, partnerships like this strengthen the region’s growing innovation economy. For companies like K-Rain, they provide access to advanced technical capabilities. And for researchers and students at FAU, they create opportunities to tackle real engineering problems alongside industry partners — carrying ideas well beyond campus.