Towards a bionic IoT: Environmental monitoring using smartphone interrogated plant sensors

What is it about?

A new concept for an organic internet-of-things (IoT) is proposed. Using plants and other organisms as the networked sensing elements offers an alternative approach to designing the IoT. It seeks to replace environmental unfriendly technologies currently in use with natural organic sensors and tools. A specific example illustrates the use of plants as a contact angle sensor platform interrogated by smartphone. Aucuba Japonica is selected because it is commonly distributed around the world near population densities for aesthetic and well being reasons.

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Photo by Wyxina Tresse on Unsplash

Photo by Wyxina Tresse on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The use of environmentally sustainable approaches that also benefit health and well being promise to revolutionize the simplistic approaches used today, introducing an approach crucial for environmentally sound and healthy technology development in the future. It marks a disruption in the way engineering will be taught to future generations if the planet is to be saved.