Based on a project in collaboration with NASA in 2012, Orbital Systems has developed a unique shower system that helps save two of our scarcest resources in our environment: water and energy.

The shower system uses a water loop that recirculates the wastewater by purifying it through a filter and then back to the shower head. The wastewater is analyzed 20 times per second to determine if it’s clean enough to be reused or to be replaced with new fresh water. This is done super fast and automatically through an internal mechanical water switch throughout the shower session.

By using the Orbital shower, a user can save up to 90% of the water consumption and 80% of the energy it would otherwise require to heat the water. While this obviously leads to a more sustainable lifestyle, an average family can as well actually save more money than it costs to install the shower after 3.5 years.

How are the Acconeer sensors used in the Orbital shower solution?

Each Orbital shower system uses two Acconeer A111 radar sensors. One is used in the Orbital core system to measure the water tank level. The second one is facing the shower space and detects whether a person is present in the shower or not.

Why did Orbital choose the Acconeer sensors?

A water installation of any sort is usually expected to last reliably for many years in the future, which puts high requirements on all integrated components to work flawlessly and without maintenance. During evaluation of suitable sensors, Orbital noticed that certain types of technologies simply weren’t resilient enough. Wire-based solutions to measure tank level caused unwanted deposit build-ups, ultra-sonic sensors had issues giving correct readings due to water bubbles and infrared sensor were too sensitive to water reflections. However, when testing the Acconeer sensor they found a solution that is accurate, resistant to noise and doesn’t require line of sight or contact with the water.