Innovation

Smartphone-controlled greenhouse invented to help grow fruits and veg in room

A team of inventors from San Francisco has unveiled a device that makes it possible, via an indoor greenhouse that can be controlled by a smartphone. By connecting their phone to the greenhouse, people will be able to grow fruit and vegetables in their homes without needing access to a garden. The indoor gadget uses a built-in miniature computer that detects when plants need water and the ideal temperature for their growth. The glass-sided device uses special sensors to pick up these readings, which then automatically activate different parts of the machine. And the device warms up, cools down, turns on a light or waters the plants autonomously without input from the user. The contraption, called Niwa, can be used to grow flowers, fruits, vegetables or herbs.