This Robot Chases the Sun to Keep House Plants Alive
Chinese roboticist and entrepreneur Sun Tianqi has created a six-legged robot that chases the sun to keep potted plants alive.
After seeing a wilted sunflower in a shadowy corner of a tech exhibition, Chinese roboticist and entrepreneur Sun Tianqi was inspired to create a robot capable of chasing the sun in order to look after potted plants.
The autonomous robot uses infrared and a 720p camera to sense and seek out the sun when needed, retreat to the shade when it has had enough, and perform a ‘dance’ if its plant needs to be watered.
To create the device, Tianqi hacked the HEXA, a six-legged open-source robot developed by his company Vincross to encourage people without knowledge of complex hardware and mechanics to create interesting robots of varied functionality.
To build the robot – the latest iteration of a project Tianqi began in 2014 called ‘Sharing Human Technology with Plants’ – the entrepreneur equipped each leg with three motors and replaced HEXA’s plastic shell with a custom dual-layer flower pot.
“Human beings go to [the] deep ocean and moon through technology,” Tianqi wrote in a blog post about the device. “Let’s share some of [the] technology with plants, [to] let them at least experience what it is like to experience the simplest of motions.”
Programmable HEXA robots are available on the Vincross site for $949 (£724).
Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip
meet our Local Insider
Hanna
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?
2 years.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.
WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?
I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!
Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.
KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.