Researchers Discover How To Control Venus Flytraps Plants Using Smartphones

JAKARTA - Singaporean researchers have found a way to control the Venus Flytrap plant using electrical signals from smartphones. They hope this innovation can bring many benefits, both in the field of robotics to utilize plants as environmental sensors.

Researcher from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Luo Yifei, demonstrated how signals from smartphone applications are transmitted to possible electrodes mounted on plants.

From the signal sent, the researchers managed to create a trap, which Venus Flytrap usually used to trap the attack, so it was closed.

"Plants are like humans, they generate electrical signals, like ECG (electrocardiograms) from the heart," Luo, who works at the NTU School of Material Science and Engineering, told Reuters.

Innovations That Don't Damage Plants

Luo said that his findings are non-invasive technology. That is, the technology will not harm or damage the Venus Flytraps plant used as a test material.

Using the technology, Luo initially detected the appearance of signals from the surface of the plant. In addition, Luo and his group also removed the trap part of the plant. This part is replaced into a robotic hand capable of gripping after being sent a signal.

That way, plants can also be used as a smooth robot that serves to pick up something fragile and easily damaged by industrial hand grip. Moreover, the robotic hand that Luo developed with the team is recognized as more environmentally friendly.

Through these findings, Luo managed to prove that communication between humans and plants does not take place one way. It is two-way, where each side sends and receives a signal.

Therefore, the NTU research team also hopes that the results of the study can be used to detect signals from plants. Later, the signal can be analyzed to identify the appearance of things that store or potential disease, before the end of the symptoms that are increasingly visible.

"We are exploring the possibility of plants acting as living sensors to monitor environmental pollution such as gases, toxic gases, or water pollution," Luo said.

Luo also stressed that it still takes a long way for the findings of this plant technology to be used commercially.

However, for Darren Ng, founder of SG VenusFlyTrap and an admirer of carnivorous plants, the findings were greeted with joy.

"If plants can talk to us, maybe farming will be easier," he explained.