Have you ever joyously stepped out to your backyard garden, freshly brewed coffee in hand, only to find your meticulously cared-for plants and herbs wilted and dying? Was the soil too dry? Did pests find their way in? During times like these, some frustrated gardeners may wish their fickle ficus would just tell them what it needs. A new Microsoft-partnered project in the UK is trying to see if that concept can be demonstrated in the real-word.
Next year, the Royal Horticultural Society in England will show off an “intelligent garden” that uses an AI model to monitor the garden’s environment and inform gardeners when it needs care. Visitors can ask the AI-powered garden questions. The model could then respond with phrases like “I need a bit more water,” or “I could use a haircut” depending on data captured in the soil. Aside from the pleasant novelty of chatting with plants, the garden will provide visitors with a physical representation of the many ways AI and Internet of Things technologies could be used to enhance sustainability and conservation efforts moving forward.
How the AI Garden works
The technical components of the garden are the product of a partnership between AI start-up Avande and Microsoft. When it is unveiled, the garden will rely on a network of sensors nestled throughout the garden measuring environmental factors like soil moisture, alkalinity, and nutrient levels as well as wind and projected rainfall. All of that data is then sent to a specially designed AI model housed in a pavilion at the back of the garden. The model, powered by Microsoft’s Azure Open AI Service, can then analyze those factors and inform gardeners on optimal feeding, watering, or trimming regiments.
Onsite plant caretakers aren’t the only ones who can interact with the garden. Visitors to the Chelsea Flower Show will be able to walk up to virtual platforms and ask the intelligence garden questions about its current environmental…
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