Ctrl-Z's HYDRO DYNAMICS Problem


The price of water in Canada is amongst the lowest in the world, and shamefully our consumption per capita is one of the highest. As Canadians, we should take a global leadership role by setting an example and conserving in spite of our country’s abundance of fresh water. Global water supplies are rapidly depleting. We cannot continue wasting water at our current rate. We need to conserve. We need to educate people about water conservation.


Existing Smart Shower Solutions


Existing smart shower heads require a smartphone that must connect to the shower via Bluetooth for each person in the family every time that they want to shower. They also require you to go on an app or website to find your usage. Many people don’t have the time or incentive to do so.



Examples Of Other Existing Solutions





Introducing Ctrl-Z's Flow Finder!

Since showering accounts for over 30% of domestic water use and people are taking needlessly long showers, reducing shower time is an easy way to save a significant amount of water. The Flow Finder is a device that is installed behind your shower head. Using a fingerprint sensor and a flow meter, it tracks the amount of water that each family member uses. An eye-catching LCD display can be placed anywhere in the house to show water consumption of each family member. Family members can compete with each other as a fun way to encourage water savings.

The Flow Finder will educate people so that they know the value of water as a precious resource. We are not the owners of this world, we are merely its stewards. It is our duty to look after it for the future generations and the Flow Finder will help us fulfill this obligation.




Ctrl-Z's Flow Finder YouTube Video





Our Survey


We surveyed 241 respondents. Our survey revealed that long shower durations and a willingness to take shorter showers suggest that there is an opportunity to reduce water consumption.




Purchasing The Materials



Meeting With Experts



Cost of Materials to Build The Flow Finder Prototype


Part Price per Unit Resource
Shower Head Component:
5V DC 10W Micro Hydro Generator $3.00 https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/DC-5V-Generator-10W-Micro-hydro_60476663938.html
Microcontroller ATMEGA328P $1.00 http://www.microchip.com/wwwproducts/en/ATmega328p
Wireless Module ESP8266 $1.00 https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/esp8266-wifi-module.html
FS01 Optical Fingerprint Reader $6.00 https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/FS-01-Optical-Fingerprint-reader-Sensor_60621942444.html?s=p
Housing $2.00
Labour And Other $6.50
Fridge Magnet:
Microcontroller ATMEGA328P $1.00 http://www.microchip.com/wwwproducts/en/ATmega328p
Wireless Module ESP8266 $1.00 https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/esp8266-wifi-module.html
2S 900 mAh Lithium Polymer Battery $3.00 https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/900mah-lithium-polymer-battery.html
ePaper Display 2.13 Inch 3 Colour Low Power $2.00 https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/ePaper-display-2-13-inch-3_60404098551.html
Housing $0.50
Labour And Other $3.50
TOTAL: $30.50/Shower