We were very excited about this one when we first got it. I, personally, am a plant lover, I have a few at home and some keep withering or dying. I try to take care of them the best I can, but overall ignorance in what works best for a plant and lack of time make me a terrible plant caretaker.
Enter the CES 2013 winner, Parrot’s Flower Power, a wireless plant health monitor that syncs with your smartphone and through it with the cloud, keeping track of all your plant vitals.
Design:
Flower Power looks like a thick green twig branching into two. One branch has a light on it that lights up to signal that it’s connect with your phone and when its replaceable AAA battery is low.
The “root” of the twig is a metal fork with various sensors placed on it to measure the plant’s vitals.
All you have to do is insert the metal fork into the plant’s soil, pair the device with your iOS device via bluetooth and you’re good to go.
Needless to say, the device is waterproof and can be installed indoors and outdoors.
Functionality:
Besides the connectivity light, the device itself doesn’t show anything. It’s all in the accompanying app, which is only available for iOS devices at this time, namely iPhone and iPod Touch.
Parrot’s website says that an Android version is coming soon, but no clue on how soon is soon really.
The app is very intuitive and simple to use. It provides the following info:
1. A database of 7000+ plants, flowers and roses to choose from.
2. A number of plant vitals like soil moisture level, soil fertilizer level, temperature and sunlight measurement.
3. Live data on all of the above except for fertilizer level.
The device continuously measures the above listed vitals and syncs with your smartphone as soon as it connects to it. Since it connects over bluetooth, once paired, it connects automatically as soon as you’re within the right proximity.
The data is measured over time and syncs through your phone to an account you create over the cloud, keeping your data secure and accessible over multiple devices.
The app also allows for an unlimited number of plants, provided you have installed more Flower Powers across a number of plants.
Another handy feature the app provides is live alerts, notifying you when it’s time to water your plant or that it’s not getting enough sunlight. Keeping you abreast of your plant’s health status before it’s too late.
The app also allows you to take a picture of your plant and use it as your plant’s “Avatar” and name it as well, so you can keep track of which plant you’re looking at.
Limitations and Drawbacks:
Two things irritated us about the Flower Power. The first being the lack of an Android app, considering that the number one mobile platform in the world at the moment is Android, a corresponding app is now overdue.
The other limitation is having to locate what type of plant you have. By indicating the type of your plant, the app can provide you with more relevant data on how to properly take care of it. How much water is enough, is it getting enough sunlight, is the soil moist enough, etc.
While the app has a database of more than 7000 plants, unless you know what type of plant you have, it’s extremely difficult to locate it from such a large database. We found this quite irritating and limiting.
Verdict:
Truly, a very handy device that provides valuable data on your home garden. With key metrics such as sunlight, moisture, fertilizer and temperature, and app alerts prompting you to take action when needed; you’ve got a good arsenal of information and tools at your fingertips ensuring that your plants get the proper care and nurture they deserve
The device’s app’s lack of Android support and difficulty in locating the right plant type are the only drawbacks holding it back from becoming a mass market commodity.
