Gardening can be a lot of work. For some people, that's the whole point in doing it. If you're not one of those people, however, then you might like GardenSpace. It's a robotic device that automatically monitors, waters and protects your plants.
GardenSpace gets hooked up to your backyard water supply, and connects with your household Wi-Fi. It's powered by an integrated battery, which is continuously charged by an onboard solar panel – this means that it doesn't need to be plugged into an electrical outlet.
Upon first setting it up, you use an app to tell it what plants are located in what locations within your garden (or you use the app for guidance in planting a new garden). It then establishes a watering schedule, which is informed by local weather conditions. The device also uses its swivelling camera head to keep tabs on all the plants, 24/7, analyzing their leaves with a thermal sensor to determine if they need some extra water.
When a plant is deemed to be thirsty, or when it's simply time for it to be watered, GardenSpace shoots a sustained stream of water at it from a nozzle beside its camera. It can reportedly reach plants up to 8 ft (2.4 m) away, using average mains water pressure.
Additionally, it utilizes a motion detector to determine when pests such as rabbits are approaching your garden. It then shoots a stream of water at them, scaring them away without harming them.
If you're interested in getting a GardenSpace unit of your own, it's currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. A pledge of US$229 will get you one, when and if they reach production. The planned retail price is $399.
It can be seen in action, in the video below.
And should you be wanting a robotic device that also does weed-control … well, that would be the Tertill.
Source: Kickstarter