Botanicalls: The Plants Have Your Number
The Phone

Call 212.202.8348 to hear more about each of the plants.

Based on sensor information, plants are able to place outgoing phone calls to a nearby telephone and express their needs. All phone calls are coordinated by Digium’s Asterisk, an open-source telephone system.

When a plant’s microcontroller determines that the plant needs to make a phone call, it contacts a PHP script with the plant’s ID number and type of need. PHP then packages this information and passes it on to Asterisk which generates the call. When the call is placed, an audio file in played in the voice of the plant expressing its need.

Current call types are as follows:

-a request for water (sample from the Cuban Oregano)
-a confirmation of & thanks for watering (sample from the Spider Plant)
-a request for more water if initial watering was not sufficient (sample from Chives)
-a notification of unnecessary watering (sample from Prayer Plant)
-a notification of extreme need for watering when plant is excessively dry (sample from Basil)

In addition to the outgoing call system, you can call in and be connected to the plants to learn more about them. Call 212.202.8348 and choose a plant.