Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #02577
To: Steven Bolt sbolt@xs4all.nl, beam beam@corp.sgi.com
From: Sean Rigter rigter@cafe.net
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1999 07:11:47 -0700
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Green Thumb gets Finger; plant grows out of control
Steven,
A triple thumbs up to your Green Thumb!
Now this is an example of a true "aquavore".
enjoy
wilf
Steven Bolt wrote:
>
> You may remember the Green Thumb, a device to monitor a plant's
> water needs. That project is now entirely topical: It has an
> actuator, is solar powered and uses a recycled component - its
> `finger'. I combined a model aircraft fuel pump with the motor from a
> broken toothbrush. Pumps pretty well on two NiMH penlites, charged
> by a 37x82mm solar panel. About 20mA per hour is going in when the
> light is good; the pump draws 1.6A, so two hours of charge may
> compensate a minute of pumping, and even a thirsty plant needs no
> more than 2 pumping minutes a day. Except on hot days - but then
> the NiMHs also get more charge. Pictures, schematic and details on:
>
> http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbolt/e-groeneVinger_Duim.html
>
> The guinea pig lemon geranium is now 110cm high and more than 70cm
> wide, growing twice as fast as its pre-Thumb predecessors!
> Apparently it likes the "just in time" water policy made possible
> by the Thumb. Since yesterday it is a kind of cyborg, drinking
> autonomously...
>
> Best,
>
> Steve
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> # sbolt@xs4all.nl # Steven Bolt # popular science monthly KIJK #
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Hey, come visit my homepage at
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Nebula/1710/
Southpark, Mechwarrior2, V&V, Al-Qadim, and Milla Jovovich!
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