Voltree was the first to harvest metabolic energy from non‐animal organisms such as trees and plants, and has since developed sensors to detect patterns that indicate disease, infestation, stress, dehydration, and seismic activity. The company's aim is to help address critical needs in natural resource management and agriculture.
Now, with CircuiTree, Voltree is hoping to inspire a young generation of scientists to learn about tree power and more. The CircuiTree science kit is built off of Voltree's bioenergy harvester technology. Kids are able to "plug in" to a tree and experiment with different strategies for activating an LED light incorporated in the kit.
CircuiTree is also a global game and data collection tool. An accompanying “Citizens Science Project” app invites young scientists to compete in a race to see who can light the most LED’s fastest, and allows them to record the voltages in various trees. The project could potentially enable global monitoring of the earth’s soil, crops, and forests by citizen scientists to add to our understanding of environmental conditions and emerging risks.
Funds raised through Kickstarter will be invested in redesigning the science kit so that it's more affordable for schools, children, and hobbyists; enhancing the app; bringing the kit to market; and developing educational materials for the kits.
For more information, visit the CircuiTree Kickstarter campaign.