Texting Plants Come to Illinois
Yes, even plants can send text messages now. A group of interactive communication researchers in New York developed a pretty neat DIY kit that let your sadly neglected hibiscus send you a text or Twitter message begging for help. The invention generated a lot of buzz in 2008 and 2009. Now, an Illinois university student has come up with a new version of the device that “gives your plant a voice.”
Eduardo Torrealba at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign created what he calls the “Plant Link.” What is different now is that you don’t have to assemble all the little gadgets yourself(saves a lot of time,right?) All you need to do is plugging the white monitor into the soil and the device will be checking your plants’ moisture levels “in a few minutes” (and message you if the leaves are drying up.) So Cheers, now there is an option for those who have yearned for a “talking plant” but deterred by the some 20 steps to make one from this:
The Plant Link also comes with an optional wireless valve, which can enable automatic watering of your outdoor gardens if you are far away from home.DIY-lovers can certainly stick to the New York version. After all,there is one thing it seems to do better: It helps humans feel appreciated. The final product sends you a pre-recorded thank-you message when the plants are happy, letting owners know that they, finally, have done a good job watering their plants.