Here’s the presentation that Kate and I gave in Jeff Feddersen’s Sustainable Energy on the second prototype for Solar Botanicalls. This version includes battery monitoring circuitry that creates a text message asking the user to change the batteries. We figured that while the plant makes phone calls when it needs something, electronics needs should be kept to an entirely separate notification …
Kate and I finished the prototype for Solar Botanicalls. It uses an array of solar panels for battery boosting power and as a sensor for light. Here’s the presentation we gave in class, and a movie of the prototype in action.
Full Botanicalls circuit with solar sensor battery boost Kate Hartman and I are working on augmenting Botanicalls with a solar panel that will act as both a light sensor and a battery charger for each plant in the project. The full circuit schematic is above with a detail showing the solar charge and sensor connections below. We’re planning to try a …
Botanicalls plants now can check on each other before making phone calls–part of my Sociable Objects thesis that explores using local sources to drive better-informed behaviors. Here’s the scenario: Fiddle-leaf fig is low on light. Its light level for the last two days is only 30% of optimal and its Botanicalls event sensor is triggered. But is it time to make …
