Vertical Irrigation System - second variation
Installation of an autonomous irrigation system can bring barren places in the city back to life, with no tending needed after installation.
Moss panel with irrigation system
David de Buyser's project Acoustic Mirror_Moss, subsidized by the Flemish Community, brings technology and biology together in several ways. First, the project’s longterm goal is an installation that uses vertical moss carpets for the projection of computer-generated images. The cultivation phase, however, features several subprojects that also forge interesting relationships between technology and biology. For instance, David recently developed a MAX/MSP-driven irrigation system to provide a constant supply of water to the moss in the installation at the Visual Arts Academy in Anderlecht.
The next steps in the development of the overarching project will be:
1) Linking the water supply to the moisture of the moss carpet – to do this, David will measure the moss carpets’ conductivity (a measure of moisture) using sensors and link this to his MAX irrigation patch in order to continuously provide the moss with the ideal level of moisture. (A self-supporting water-circulation system will prevent water spillage.)
2) Generating the energy necessary for the irrigation system using solar panels, which will allow the irrigation system to function completely autonomously.
Aside from these steps’ purpose in the overarching project, the development of such an autonomous irrigation system is artistically relevant in its own right. With a system based on DIY materials (such as Arduino) and methods and making these available as open source, the irrigation subproject comprises an urban gardening strategy. This isn’t guerrilla gardening but guerrilla irrigation! Installation of such an autonomous irrigation system can bring barren places in the city back to life, with no tending needed after installation; it can also be used in support of urban and community gardens. The project thus deploys DIY technology to help urban flora flourish.
