Interaction design

Designer Junyi Heo has designed a digital pot for plants. Why? The pot automatically monitors the condition in the pot to provide optimal conditions for the plant.

How does it work?

The pot measures soil conditions, temperature, humidity and water. By calculating these variables and knowing the optimal conditions for this particular plant can inform the user if he should take action. Through icons on the front of the digital pot it provides feedback to the user about the condition; is it too hot or too cold for instance. If all conditions are within range the pot will show you a happy smiley!

There are actually two pots with a water vessel at the bottom. In case the user has overwatered the plant it can get rid of this water by letting it flow into the water vessel.

The pot needs power but a simple USB interface both charges and transmits pertinent information to and from computer software.

Icons

The designer has chosen for smiley’s and other common icons like danger (with a skull and crossed bones). For the usability it might be better to associate icons with the product itself. Instead of displaying a sad smiley because the plant has too little water, the pot could have displayed a dried plant as well (the ones hanging all over because you neglected that plant). And what is the difference between ‘dissatisfied’ and ‘bad’?

Via Yanko