Prebeo Automated Kitchen Garden makes organic farming easier at home

Kitchen gardens have made a grand comeback with the number of people opting for organically grown groceries growing steadily over the last decade. Since more and more people are now accounting for the emissions and environmental costs involved in the transportation of food items when they buy groceries from stores, the trend towards growing one’s own vegetables and herbs is also booming especially in urban centers. The Prebeo Food for the Future concept by designers Christina Chin and Nicolette Tan explores the possibility of making kitchen gardens automated to persuade people with little time for gardening towards adopting such eco friendly initiatives.

Prebeo: Food of the future

The automated fridge garden uses the membrane based plant cultivation technology known as Imec that allows people to grow plants on a thin film rather than in soil. The space saving concept looks to boost self sufficiency and sustainability by offering people with limited space and resources with a way to grow their own produce. The Prebeo looks to provide each type of produce with a set of optimal conditions that are customized for each type of plant. The tall and thin container like planter comes with removable cartridges that incorporate the gel based film and the necessary nutrients on which the plants are to be grown.

Once inserted, the information stored on the cartridges is read by the Prebeo which automatically uploads the necessary information and provides the right set of conditions for the plants to grow. As the plants grow, a magnetic rail propels them upwards and a glowing light indicates growth and position of the produce. As the cartridges move upwards, it indicates that the produce is ready to be picked. Maintenance of the Prebeo only requires users to refill the system with sufficient water at intervals.