Guttation Sensor: Wearable Microfluidic Chip for Plant Condition Monitoring and Diagnosis
Plant life plays a critical role in the ecosystem. However, it is difficult for humans to perceive plants’ reactions because the biopotential and biochemical responses are invisible to humans. Guttation droplets contain various chemicals which can reflect plant physiology and environmental conditions in real-time. Traditionally, these droplets are collected manually and analyzed in the lab with expensive instruments. Here, we introduce the Guttation Sensor, the first on-site and low-cost monitoring technology for guttation droplets. This innovative device employs a paper-based wearable microfluidic chip capable of collecting and conducting colorimetric detection of six chemicals. We discuss this technology’s design and implementation, conduct evaluations on tomato plants, and envision how such a technology could enhance the human-plant relationship.
