About Us

Established in 2015

Spider Sensors was initially established in 2015 by Nathan Haut, Matthew Schafer, and William Hackbarth, under the supervision of their academic adviser, Mr. Robert Fox.

This project was sparked by the need for better irrigation practices on farms and made its first appearance at the AH Nickless Innovation Competition in the spring of 2016.

Our Goal

We strive to use Spider Sensors to conserve water and reduce water pollution. Our sensors help farmers, land owners, and irrigators, target precise locations that need water and help determine the exact amount needed. With this strategy we will reduce annual water usage by eliminating overuse of water. We will reduce pollution by eliminating fertilizer runoff caused by over watering. We are always looking to improve our solution to water conservation to make irrigation a more sustainable practice.

Our Team​

Nathan Haut
Co-founder/CEO

A chemistry and computer science student at Alma College. Lives to innovate and to make the world easier to live in via invention. He is the lead designer and software engineer of the soil volumetric water content data collection software. 

Matthew Schafer
Co-founder/CTO

A computer scientist student at MSU with a sharp and innovative mind. He is the lead designer and software engineer for the mapping solution of Spider Sensors. Matt also made huge contributions in the build of the Spider Sensor node.

William Hackbarth
Co-founder/Head of Public Relations

A brilliant writer and currently a student at MSU studying to become a teacher. He has an impressive skill to write clear and smooth documentation of our works. He was the primary contributor to piecing together our first research paper, which looked into the benefits and extent of water savings of our small scale testing.