Technology Meets Playtime: Interactive Water Experience

A water playground allows children to discover the power and dynamics of water in a playful way. At the Belgian science center Hidrodoe in Herentals, the “Blue Water Garden” (Blauwe Watertuin) was created as part of a modernization project – an interactive water playground that teaches physical principles in a child-friendly way. The innovative play stations are controlled by a modern automation solution from SIGMATEK, which was implemented in collaboration with JC Techniek and the Dutch SIGMATEK partner SigmaControl.

Johan Craemers from JC Techniek was responsible for the technical implementation: “The challenge was to develop a robust, industrial control solution for an interactive and publicly accessible environment – functionally comparable to mechanical engineering projects, but with a strong focus on the user experience.”

Industrial Components for Fun Activities

Despite its fun-oriented focus, industrial components such as pumps, valves, sensors, pressure monitoring, and water treatment were used. At the heart of the setup is the S-DIAS automation system from SIGMATEK – compact, expandable modules with high I/O density. The CPU module CP 112, which controls up to 64 I/O modules, is installed in the technical container at the edge of the site. Among other things, it regulates AC drives, motors, and valves and evaluates sensor values. With the S-DIAS safety system, necessary safety functions – such as emergency stop – are ensured for rotating components like pumps.

Visualization with Modern Web Technology

A 12.1-inch multi-touch panel with Edge3 Technology processor (ETT 1264) is used to operate the system. The visualization was created using the web-based engineering tool LASAL VISUDesigner (HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript). Its graphically structured user interface enables intuitive and maintenance-friendly control, for example by displaying individual functional areas such as water paths or temperature zones.

Real-Time Sensor Technology for a Dynamic Experience

The sensor technology also features a high degree of automation. In the water bikes, for example, a speed sensor measures the pedaling frequency in real time in order to adjust the pump output and thus the amount of water in the spray jet. Rotating spray poles work in a similar way, allowing children to create a “cloud effect” by winding a wheel. Pump pressures of up to 70 bar are precisely built up via the control system. Temperature and pressure sensors ensure year-round operation – including frost protection.

Water Quality as a Key Issue

Water quality was a major issue. “The local water was extremely hard and completely unsuitable for fine spray jets. Without effective water softening, it would have led to blockages and deposits within a very short time,” explains Marco Coolen from CooTech Water Technology. An automatic softening system was therefore integrated, which treats around seven cubic meters of fresh water every day. In addition, nightly water renewal ensures microbiological safety – a crucial factor in changing environmental conditions.

Efficient Installation Thanks to Pre-Assembly

The entire control unit was pre-installed and tested in a container before. This modular approach shortened the commissioning time and significantly reduced malfunctions during later operation.