When scientists make a discovery, they often get first dibs on how it should be named or referred to. Usually they’ll—rather arrogantly—choose their own name, but not a team of researchers from Duke University: instead, they chose Lady Gaga’s. More »
If your green thumb is itching for a garden that your cramped apartment can’t facilitate, it turns out those takeout containers in your fridge can double as clever mini greenhouses. Or at least, these specially designed translucent plastic boxes that look like takeout containers, but still let sunshine in. More »
If keeping even a little piddly goldfish alive is beyond your care-taking capabilities, well then you have a perfect excuse to buy one of these gorgeous, geometric terrariums! Yay for you. More »
To help them better understand root growth in plants, researchers at James Hutton Institute and the University of Abertay Dundee have developed a transparent soil that makes studying what happens underground as easy as staring through a window. More »
Some people have green thumbs while others are known for their plant-killing black thumbs. The former are naturally great at keeping their potted plants and gardens alive and green, while the latter are notoriously known for causing plants to die or wilt a few weeks after they start ‘caring’ for them.
Regardless which group you might belong to, I’m pretty sure you’ll find the Wi-Fi Plant Sensor useful. All you have to do is stick it into your plant’s pot and log on online (or run the iOS app it works with). Select what species your plant is and keep the sensor there for a week, because that’s how long it’ll take for the sensor’s app to come up with a care plan specifically put together for your plant.
After seven days, you can move the sensor to another plant to start the whole process all over again.
The Wi-Fi Plant Sensor was designed in Switzerland by Koubachi and is available for CHF 99.00 (~$104 USD.)
[via Dvice]
Not content with turning inanimate objects into touch sensitive interfaces, Disney Research is now developing a noninvasive technology they call Botanicus Interacticus, which turns plants into touch sensitive input devices.
In simple terms, an electrode is buried into the soil where a plant has taken root. This allows Disney’s researchers to apply a weak current to the plant at multiple frequencies. The use of multiple frequencies helps the researchers identify not just when but also where the plant is being touched. These signals can then be used in a variety of ways – the demo below shows plants being used to play music and video.
Imagine having just a couple of plants inside your room instead of switches. Or perhaps you can make it so your door will only unlock when you touch a nearby plant in a certain way. That sounded wrong, but you get what I mean.
[via BuzzFeed]
It’s a terrifying thought, but science suggests that when under attack, plants cry for help. Invisible and, often odorless, green leaf volatiles emitted from vegetation act as a defense mechanism, communicating to other foliage that danger is near. One researcher at the University of Georgia, however, is developing a chemical sensor to use these distraught emissions for good. Working in a similar fashion detecting glucose in the blood, the sensor would be able to alert farmers to when crops are under attack from pests, allowing them to trigger defenses reactively, and in a localized area. The net result being less chemicals on our food, and potentially lower costs for producers. Other suggested uses include helping us keep our produce at home fresher for longer by — literally — weeding out bad apples in a bag, before they affect the others. The technology is still being optimized for field use, but a testing device should follow once complete. In the meantime, we’ll never feel the same about mowing the lawn again.
Chemical sensors could detect plants’ cries for help, reduce need for pesticides originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 10:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If you’re not an avid gardener it’s hard to stay on top of keeping indoor plants like herbs and spices watered and cared for. So consider this Urban Cultivator like a personal gardener. It’s designed blend in with your other kitchen appliances, but it keeps a small herb garden alive and well all year long. More »
In this era of Kinect, Wii, and Leap, everyone wants to capitalize on motion control. Disney still likes physical peripherals, like houseplants for example. More »
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