The new Infragram Webcam was recently released as a beta for $55; now, as anyone could have guessed, this is not an average webcam. In fact, the technology, which has a pixel resolution of 1600X1200, allows any photographer the ability to analyze the health of their plants.
The technology comes from the folks at Public Lab, “an open network of collaborators who develop affordable environmental science tools.” The genius behind the camera is how accessible it is; any normal farmer or even average homeowner with a ‘green thumb’ could use the webcam to check on the status of their plants. Especially aiding the former could revolutionize farming: to the point that farmers could seasonally check on their harvest and, if necessary, change their methods accordingly.
Now, the Infragram Webcam uses a specific filter to check on the state of plants: the camera, which uses the same ‘multi-spectral techniques as NASA,’ “allows you to take an infrared photo in the “red” channel of your camera, and a visible image in the “blue” channel.” Both of these images together create a NDVI image (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index): this allows the user to check and measure the photosynthetic activity of the plants.
Furthermore, what makes the webcam so accessible is how it can pretty much attach itself to any device: laptops, Raspberry Pi and most cellular devices. And, the ‘blue and red’ filters are even removable from the Infragram Webcam, allowing the webcam to be used for other reasons. Finally, the filters are sold separately, which gives any person the ability to convert their own camera into this device.
So not only is the technology quite simple, it puts NASA-level techniques in the hands of everyday citizens; and the coolest aspect is if the Infragram Webcam catches on, it could revolutionize the way we grow plants. Plants dying will decrease significantly, if we were able to see the problems beforehand and change our techniques accordingly. Again, this product is in beta and anybody could try the camera out for a small fee of $55 with an estimated shipping date of one to two weeks. If you want to order the product now, you can at Grand St. and if you want to learn more about it, head over to Public Lab.
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