If you’re a greenthumb in spirit but just can’t keep your favorite leafy pets alive, fret not - the answer to your problems has arrived in a clever new human/plant communication project. Four students from NYU’s infamous ITP program - Robert Faludi, Kate Hartman, Kati London and Rebecca Bray – have recently devised a brilliant solution to keep you from throwing in the trowel on gardening altogether. Dubbed Botanicalls, the innovative concept establishes a way for thirsty plants to effectively communicate their needs to humans – by placing phone calls to their owners.

Utilizing moisture sensors - which are attached to the plants - as well as an open-source telephony application called Asterisk, the programmed software triggers Asterisk to call a designated number whenever a plant needs watering. Upon answering the call, the plant owner is treated to an audio file – or the so-called ‘voice of the plant’ – which describes exactly what it needs. Botanicalls opens a new channel of communication between plants and humans, in an effort to promote successful inter-species cohabitation and understanding. At the moment, the Botanicalls project is being experimentally conducted on 10 plants. To talk to the plants yourself call Botanicalls at 212. 202. 8348.

source and more: http://www.inhabitat.com

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