What if your houseplant could charge your smartphone?
That is what the creators of Bioo hope to achieve with their new product, which does just that. CEO Pablo Vidarte and his team have set out to develop a plant that can provide enough power to keep your phone going throughout the day.
Bioo is based on precision technology from Arkyne Technologies, which is embedded within the potted plant. The plant's biological elements expelled after photosynthesis are used to generate electricity. A USB wire, biological nanowires and an anaerobic chamber make up the system that powers smartphones.
"The magic happens inside the plant pot, where energy created by the plant's biological elements expelled after photosynthesis is transferred for our use in [the] form of electricity," Bioo's creators explain on its Indiegogo page. "This matter is produced with or without Bioo[;] it is simply part of the essential process of photosynthesis in which every plant has to take part to live. This way, we are not forcing the plant to do or create anything else rather than what it always makes."
The Bioo team goes on to explain that the system is self-regenerating, making it an ideal piece of environmentally-friendly technology.
To utilize Bioo, users remove the USB from inside of the pot, and then add water. Afterward, the pot is shaken to allow the water to flow freely and activate the organic process. A plant of the user's choice can be added to the pot, and then a smartphone can be plugged into the USB to use its electricity.
Bioo's sealed water tank is designed for high efficiency and optimal water management. In terms of plant maintenance, it's designed to save users up to eight liters of water monthly. Power-wise, Bioo can provide up to three phone charges per day (3.5 volts). Even when the plant isn't photosynthesizing under the sun, it provides electricity in the evening hours.
Early birds who pledge 89 Euros (approximately $101) on the Indiegogo campaign page are eligible to receive a Bioo, set to ship out by December 2016. The campaign has reached 93 percent of its funding goal of 15,000 Euros (around $17,000) as of April 19.
