Scientists from Singapore are working on 'robo-plants' technology, which is being called a fusion of 'nature and technology'. For this, using a ‘thermogel’, they attached film-like and soft electrodes on the surface of Venus flytrap (an insectivorous plant). Thermogel is liquid at low temperatures but turns into a gel at room temperature.
These electrodes are capable of monitoring weak electrical pulses naturally emitted by plants, which will be able to detect diseases in crops in early stage and their health in future. Thus, scientists have developed a high-tech system for communication with flora, which is helpful in monitoring plants using smart phone applications.
This technique can be useful in combating climate change hazards to crops. It is noteworthy that plants have the capability to respond to chemicals, light, gravity, humidity, temperature, oxygen levels as well as parasitic infections, sound and touch.
It is known that in 2016, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology team turned spinach leaves into sensors that can send an email alert to scientists when they detect explosive materials in groundwater.