‘Tamagotchi-like’ planter aims to bestow you with a green thumb
Images credit: mu-design
- A design team came up with a smart planter that can indicate 15 emotions.
- The emotions are derived from the sensors placed in the planter.
- The device is not in production yet but you can order it through a crowdfunding campaign.
If most plants you buy for your house tend to wither and die no matter how hard (or little) you try to take care of them, a technological solution may be in order. Mu-design, a design team from Luxembourg, came up with a smart planter that features 15 different emotions and can tell you definitively if it’s not getting enough light or water.
The “lua” device uses sensors to trigger various emotional responses that are displayed on the 2.4 inch LCD monitor at the front of the planter. The facial expressions are based on measurements of the moisture in the soil, the amount of light and the temperature.
Credit: mu-design
Lua essentially turns your plants into pets similar to Tamagotchi, blending the physical with the virtual. If the plant needs water, it will show a panting face. If it’s too hot, a sweating face will appear. If you want to see its chattering teeth, make the plant cold. If there’s way too much light for the plant’s liking, you’ll see its vampire face – an effect that may be creepily augmented by lua’s another built-in sensor that allows it to track motion with its eyes. And if that wasn’t enough, the plant can even communicate with you through an app.
Credit: mu-design
Credit: mu-design
The planter comes in several colors designated as “eggplant,” “sunflower” and “agave” by the designers.
The device is currently available through an Indiegogo campaign. It already far surpassed its goal, raising 238% more than it intended, with nearly 600 backers.
