For the gardener on the go, a new service for use on mobile devices
lets plants “tell” their owners in real time when they are thirsty and, for
outdoor shrubbery, allows even owners who are far from home to give them the
water they need immediately.
“About a year ago, I got tired of killing my
plants,” said Eduardo Torrealba co-founder of Oso Technologies, the company
that created the Plant Link product. This invention, he said, offered an
innovative solution to an age-old problem.
Torrealba and his colleagues created the service
using a combination of soil sensors and software that constantly monitor plant
water levels and send instant alerts telling owners when the plans need water.
Outdoor plants can be watered remotely using an automated valve linked to a
home’s water source.
The plant soil sensors take measurements every five
to 10 minutes. The data they gather are then processed electronically, using an
algorithm that also factors in weather conditions, soil type and geographic
location of the plant to provide highly accurate advice on when to water the
plants, Torrealba said.
Funding allowing Torrealba to launch his new
product/service was obtained through Kickstarter, an online crowd-funding
website that allows budding entrepreneurs to pitch innovative ideas in need of
start-up capital to the general public.
The website allows participants to pledge funding
for projects they deem viable. Those backers however are only asked to provide
the funds if financial pledges from other uses reach the level set by the
entrepreneur and that is necessary to get the project off the ground.
The Plant Link project received close to $100,000 in
donations in approximately one month of fundraising, surpassing its initial
goal of $75,000, according to figures published on the Kickstarter website.
Users of the service can opt to “keep in touch” with
their plants via text message, email alerts or by monitoring their plants
remotely from a special website.
Prices for the package are projected to range from
$99 to $150 and the first batch is due to be released as early as June.
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