Tag: gardening

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Aquarius is the dawning of the age of automatic plant watering

The Premise. Every house or apartment feels more like a home when it includes houseplants. However, like any living thing, plants need to be cared for, fed, and watered. Needing to leave for business or vacation means finding a way to have plants cared for.

The Product. Aquarius is an adjustable watering system for plants that can be controlled while away from the home. The bland, cubic waterproof base holds the water needed for a potted plant that rests on top of the base. Then the adjustable nozzle points down into the pot and with the push of a smartphone touch screen or by assigning it to a schedule, the Aquarius gives plants the water they need automatically.

The Pitch. The sight of a woman sobbing after her plant dying and the phrase “ruin vacations” are both used in the campaign video in relation to plants withering from dehydration to great melodramatic effect. The product itself looks great as it waters plants of all sizes, and the app looks easy to use as well. The campaign combines attractive houseplants with the sleek design of the product itself. Aquarius inventor Gleb Kudryavtcev needs $30,000 to bring the Aquarius to the masses in terms of production and manufacturing. Stretch goals will be available after reaching the main goal for solar power, making it an entirely autonomous device.

The Perks. A single Aquarius will cost backers $65. The Aquarius Duo, which will allow owners to connect the devices together and water two plants, is available for $85. The Aquarius Quatro, which one can easily deduce will water four plants, can be had for $100. Eight- and 16-plant sets are also available, with each set of four able to exist in a different location. All watering devices will ship out in February 2015.

The Potential. While there are already plenty of ways to ration water to plants while on vacation, this may be one of the first that can be controlled using a phone or tablet. The design is more concerned with function over form, and seems to work great, while leaving a little something wanting in the looks department. At the end of the day, for people who want to keep their plants happy and healthy, the Aquarius is a great option to consider. Others who may not be as prone to breaking out into tears at the possibility of a dead houseplant may not be so compelled to pull the trigger on this product.

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Sensors/IoT

Daisy.si waters houseplants when you’re not on home turf

The Premise. People love to have plants in their houses and offices. However, sometimes it’s hard to know if you’re watering those plants too much or not enough. Sometimes we have to guess, which can have deadly consequences… for the plants that is.

The Product. Daisy.si is a smart plant watering device. This small product has two prongs that rest in the soil. The LED light on top indicates if the soil is fully wet, moist or too dry and also shows battery information as well as how much light the plant is getting. The device then uses this information to gauge how much water it should dispense to the plant. A long tube goes from the moisture source into the soil. A program allows the user to adjust watering settings from their phone or computer. They can either choose to water the plant manually or use the auto-detect function. Daisy.si runs on a battery that lasts up to two years.

The Pitch. Daisy.si’s video shows the device being used in a number of different settings with lots of different kinds of flowers, herbs, vegetables and the like. The creators from Slovenia use a bit of broken English throughout the rest of the campaign to describe the prototyping process as well as showing the accompanying program’s interface. Daisy needs to raise $18,000 in its 45-day Indiegogo campaign.

The Perks. For only $30, early backers can enjoy the Daisy.si with free shipping worldwide at a regular price of $33. Reward tiers go up to $303 offering different quantities of the product, but not much else. There is no estimated delivery date specified.

The Potential. The Daisy.si is perhaps the most sophisticated plant watering system around. Others claim to be as smart, but fail in their delivery like Jobe’s Smart Watering System that really only acts as an IV drip for plants. Daisy.si not only detects moisture, but sunlight as well which is a necessary detail to take into account when caring for plants. All in all, Daisy.si’s versatility in moisture detection and its ability to be controlled remotely make it a great product for green-thumbed backers.

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Music

MIDI Sprout turns home vegetation into Robert Plant

The Premise. Humans have had a long-time love affair with music. It is part of our culture, our customs and even our identity. We’ve crafted instruments of all shapes and sounds and musical genres to suit every culture and mood. But numerous individuals and groups have proved that you don’t always need an instrument to make music.

The Product. MIDI Sprout shows us that humans are not the only species who can create sophisticated musical compositions. It is a biofeedback-to-MIDI converter that enables plants to play synthesizers in real-time based on their physiological changes from the environment. The MIDI Sprout comes with two probes that send out a small electrical charge from a battery and attach to a leaf. In humans, the same technology provides insights into emotional states and is the basis of simple lie detector readings. While MIDI Sprout will not be able to prove whether plants have a hidden consciousness, it can transform data from living plants into biofeedback art to be experienced by all – just add a computer or synthesizer.

The Pitch. A-sharp? Data Garden, makers of the MIDI Sprout focus their Kickstarter campaign on educating potential backers on the concept of the “DIY biofeedback movement” and its benefits. The campaign video features music generated by plants and the voice of a futuristic woman who talks over images of people experiencing biofeedback art and interacting with plants. Data Garden aims to raise $25,000 in 45 days which will be used to produce prototypes for artists to use in installations and performances and to distribute to the wider public, including backers.

The Perks. Just to give backers some room for options, Data Garden amazingly offers 23 commitment levels, ranging from $1 to $10,000. You’ll have to pledge at least $95 to the project if you want to receive your very own pre-built MIDI Sprout converter ready to hook up to your plant and synthesizer/computer. If Data Garden reaches goal, MIDI Sprouts are expected to ship by November 2014.

The Potential.  While there are products which convert human biofeedback to MIDI, they are for medical use and quite expensive. MIDI Sprout would be the first affordable converter intended to be marketed “to the masses”. For the general public, raising awareness of biofeedback art and its potential impact will be necessary for the product to gain success. Until then it will likely become a fad that only a small niche of artists and perhaps some environmentalists will open their wallets for.

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Tools

Screener Thing won’t let your garden down

ScreenerFor green thumbers who have a rocky time working in their gardens, Screener Thing offers a solution. This nifty, sifty garden tool is basically a screen framed by wood planks that sits on top of wheelbarrows or buckets. When pouring dirt into the receptacle, the screen catches all of the unwanted rocky or chunky material that lives in the dirt. For $45, backers can rock out with the Screener Thing. The money, rather than the play, is the Thing as it needs to raise $45,000 on Kickstarter in its 45-day campaign.