I love the outcome and hate the fact even my plant needs electricity now.
Also I’m just envious.
Edit: That plant also needs a
USVUPS!Sorry but what is a USV? -.-
Yes, needed electricity is a bummer, but if it comforts you it runs only from electricity from my solar panels ;)
Sorry, I meant UPS, as USV is the German term for it.
Ah now I get it, I didn‘t know the term for it.
Aber ja das würde richtig Sinn machen!
Du warst halt für eine kurze Zeit … narrisch ;)
Hehe
This could be done with regular magnets, no need for electricity
Sadly it cannot be done with just permanent magnets, then you need at least one contact point to stabilize it.
I could have sworn I’ve seen it done but I’m just now learning about Earnshaw’s theorem. Huh. TIL
Nice, thanks for referencing Earnshaw’s theorem :)
In case anyone else is curious: here
Thanks!
It cannot. Not without insanely cold temps.
Now you can be sure it gets even light
Ha that’s true!
Wow! That’s absolutely amazing! I don’t have a green thumb so this is the highlight of my week! 👍
I also appreciate the mastodon video link instead of YT, thanks for sharing!
Thank you :) Sure, Fediverse all the way :P
That’s super neat. Is it a mess to water?
Yes, for now I spray it two times a day. The moss ball dries up so quickly, of course even more so as it sits freely in the air. So not practical at all, but very nice to look at
Maybe mossball formed around some type of reservoir core with a low permiability? More watering than normal I’m sure but maybe more of a every 2 days scenario.
Also great idea. My idea right now is an infrared thermometer to measure when the surface is dry and then sprinkle it with water when it’s necessary… but that’s a bit overengineered :P
Well, it’s a plant floating in the air. It’s already over-engineered. You might as well go all the way at this point.
What if you a sprayed layer of something onto the mossball to slow water exchange? Not sure what, something like starch or collagen occurred to me but that probably only works if they can dry.
Hm yeah maybe that would work… I have to think about a bit more…
Oh my God, this is so cool. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve seen this year. I love things like this that are both technically impressive and also beautiful. It’s unfortunate that it requires more effort from you to keep it watered, but the effort seems worth it by far (if you’re able to keep on top of it, that is)
Ahh thank you!
This makes so happy that you point this out because this is exactly what I was aiming for: while technically impressive I tried to hide any sign of technology, even the cable is sleeved with natural fibers. All things visible are only natural materials.
I was just going through my inbox and seeing your reply reminded me of this project, and I’m blown away all over again. Like, ugh, it’s so cool it’s practically painful. I find it deeply and profoundly beautiful because of how elegantly you’ve synthesised something that contains both the natural world, and technology.
The grim world we live in means that many of us reflexively end up hating technology, because of how it is so often used to facilitate our oppression — even the devices we own don’t feel like our own. I find your post to be an essential reminder that it’s not actually the technology itself that we hate, but the way it’s used against us (and the people who are doing it). Some might find the way that I’m raving about this floating plant pot to be silly but this feels like a legitimately powerful symbol of what technology can be; it can empower us to make cool stuff, and rather than existing in opposition to nature, we can actually use it to glorify the natural world.
Seeing people make cool stuff like this always makes me feel inspired. I aspire to be someone who is always at least a little bit ridiculous, and this is exactly the vibe I love. Like, this is an objectively absurd thing that you’ve made here. I can’t fathom how long it must have taken to make this (and the various kinds of expertise), and even now it’s done, you’ve basically got a pointless ornament that requires more care than before. It’s fundamentally quite silly, but that’s why it’s so cool!
Ok this the best comment on my work I got so far, thank you so much! I really appreciate it that there are other people who value the outcome as much as I do.
As you said it is quite silly but I think it represents our surrounding nature and our world so good: as a quite fragile ball floating in space which we have to take good care about :)
…how? Are you some kind of plant wizard?
Sadly no, but I try to keep the plants happy as best as I can ^^
But how does it float? Like I’m old but I’m not usually “ALL TECHNOLOGY SEEMS LIKE MAGIC TO ME” old.
What?? That’s cool! Is it magnets?
Yes, big permanent magnets to push it ip and electro magnets to keep the floating magnet centered
Pretty damn cool. Thanks for sharing!
Sure thing :)
I love that this will avoid pooling water on the roots.
Also, it looks like fake AI. In this case that is cool.
That’s true, however it dries up way to fast now. So not much being gained here at all sadly
I wonder if you could coat the root ball with a layer of clay or something to hold moisture longer while maintaining the earthy look?
Also great idea! So cool that you all give so nice suggestions :)
Cool! Does it get dizzy? :P
I asked it but sadly it didn’t answer and just turned away from me :(
do you have any photos of testing before installing the plant?
damn the base is almost 50 degrees? It looks way more complicated than I was expecting too. How does it stay upright?
I didn’t thought it would get so hot, but the moss ball has quite some weight to it which needs more power to keep it centered. It weighs ~500g when watered.
The purpose of the electromagnets in the base is exactly to keep the floating magnet at the bottom of the moss ball centered. There are hall effect sensors measuring indirectly the position of the floating magnet and correct the faintest misalignment. The more mass the more power is needed, that’s why it gets so hot.
I’m a gyrating, pollinating, son of a bee…
