Behind the harmonious dance of a dynamic fountain lies an invisible orchestra of cables, circuit boards, codes… and meetings! The Forme d’Acqua technical and technological team is working to make significant changes and improvements to the hardware and software ecosystem required for remote programming and management of fountains. A few days ago, they met to outline the new development roadmap, focusing on an ambitious goal: enhancing the integration between advanced mechatronics and digital management to deliver increasingly reliable systems. The goal was to better “tune” the available tools and replace others with better ones, focusing entirely on simplification and power.
The evolution of dynamic fountains relies on an increasingly close synergy between mechatronics, industrial automation, and IoT systems. Therefore, a structural update to the hardware and software tools used is inevitable to improve the reliability, scalability, and maintainability of the systems.
The meeting highlighted a qualitative leap in the remote management and installation architecture of our fountains.
The My Fountain app is evolving thanks to the integration of a new IoT Gateway, more durable and high-performance, and therefore able to meet our needs. The new gateway is designed to operate in outdoor environments and in harsh conditions. This is more than just a simple interface for turning on lights or adjusting water features: the new architecture of the My Fountain app now allows for real-time reading of consumption and chemical parameters (pH and redox). This ensures predictive diagnostics that anticipate maintenance, reporting anomalies even more efficiently than the previous system, to prevent them from becoming critical.
Particular attention has been paid to the installation and programming phases, aiming to streamline on-site work. We have introduced new modular control devices to drastically reduce installation times and the risk of errors during assembly.
For dynamic fountains, we have focused on widespread adoption of the DMX protocol and the introduction of new communication standards, such as Modbus, designed to simplify the work of installers. Thanks to next-generation devices with rapid connections, on-site installation is streamlined, with a drastic reduction in programming and configuration times for the electrical panel.
For us, innovation is this: technological complexity on the inside, extreme simplicity on the outside.
In summary, the new developments that emerged from the latest technical meeting, designed to improve on-site operations and after-sales management, are:
- Smart installation: Introduction of a new, custom-made IoT gateway to make it even more durable and high-performance. This new custom element reduces the complexity of initial programming and speeds up the system’s initial setup.
- Enhanced remote control: Full integration with DMX/RDM systems to monitor the health of each device directly from the app, receiving specific alerts in the event of a malfunction.
- Maintenance 4.0: Thanks to new connected sensors, management becomes proactive. Support can intervene even more effectively on parameters remotely, reducing the need for in-person visits by technicians.
The result is a fountain that is more reliable over time, capable of delivering high dynamic performance with reduced operating costs. Forme d’Acqua’s innovation is embodied in a key principle: a standardised industrial architecture that integrates high functional complexity while maintaining maximum operational simplicity for installers and managers.
