Indoor smart garden uses artificial intelligence to grow real plants

Why it matters to you Urban agriculture is a booming trend these days, and now, even the most agriculturally challenged of us can get in on the fun with this AI garden.

No one will know if you lack a green thumb so long as you have a smart garden. No matter how agriculturally dumb you may be, artificial intelligence is here to help. It comes in the form of AVA Byte from AVA Technologies. Heralded as the first indoor smart garden to combine AI technology, including machine learning, and a straightforward user experience, you can have a farmer’s market right in your own home.

By leveraging “continuously optimized” algorithms, the AVA Byte purports to be able to sustain year-round plant cultivation. Whether you’re interested in growing vegetables, micro-greens, fruits, or even mushrooms (apparently, AVA is among the first indoor gardening device to offer fungus support), you can do it with this garden.

The AVA Byte depends on LED lights that emit a mixture of red, white, and blue light to encourage growth, fruiting, and flowering regardless of your home environment. Its hydroponic irrigation system allows you to water every few weeks instead of every few days, and a companion app will keep you updated on your plants’ progress.

The indoor garden comes with ready-to-grow compostable pods that are soil-free and totally self-sufficient. With seeds, plant food, and plant-based spongy growing material all in one neat little package, this is probably the least work gardening has ever been. Each garden comes with a five-pack of pods.

“Growing your own food is a vote against the way the food system is today. Being food-lovers, we wanted to start a food revolution,” said Valerie Song, co-founder and CEO of AVA Technologies. “Unfortunately, unlike houses with large backyards, a condo-dweller like myself is restricted by lack of space and access to sunlight.” But that obviously isn’t a problem with the Byte.

Available in white, space grey, or a carbon black finish, the garden ought to complement any decor, and can also be mounted to the wall, creating a vertical farm. The Byte is also compatible with Alexa, Google Home, and other connected home devices.

“The world is undergoing a massive transition into a new future of food and agricultural systems” added Mike Nasseri, Urban Futurist, AVA Technologies. “AVA Byte will help push the awareness curve that is required to advance the adoption curve of the new technologies being used at scale to address our current issues in agricultural production and consumption.”

The AVA Byte is currently available for pre-order on Indiegogo for early bird pricing starting at $169.