The Plant-in City project combines horticulture with architecture and technology to create an installation that challenges notions of the 'concrete jungle' nature that defines New York City.
The exhibit is designed to put viewers more in touch with nature and to give the plants, which are sparse and hard to find in big cities, a voice of their own.
A large-scale terrarium system that has been outfitted with electronic sensors and a microcomputer which will act as the home for the plant life as well as the mechanism to convert the greenery's activity into sound.
Changes in light, soil moisture and soil temperature will be recorded by the sensors and any variance in these natural cycles will then be transformed into sound waves or visuals that express the living and breathing nature of plant life.
What's Driving This Trend
- High-tech Horticulture
- The combination of horticulture with architecture and technology has paved the way for innovative interactive exhibits that connect people with nature in cities.
- Smart Agricultural Sensing Systems
- Embedding electronic sensors and microcomputers in greenhouses and farms to monitor environmental variables, provides data-driven insights and can lead to optimal plant growth, enhancing crop yield for better profitability.
- Nature-inspired Design
- Designing structures using biomimicry principles that mimic the physiological features of plants can lead to new technological solutions through sustainable and eco-friendly processes.
Who This Affects Most
- Architecture
- Integrating technological innovations to create smart and sustainable buildings that incorporate plant life can provide unique, nature-inspired solutions for urban spaces.
- Horticulture
- Smart agricultural sensing systems can help greenhouse and farm operations optimize plant growth, leading to better crop yields and profitability.
- Technology
- Innovatively integrating electronic sensors and microcomputers in the manufacturing process can change the landscape of conventional farming and agriculture.
