Plant vigilantes is a plant-based shoreline security system taking advantage of a wide range of genetical-modified plants to predict and take precaution for suddeen water-borne pollution. It takes advantage of the up-to-date development in plant perception and phytoremediation. It is a low-cost and self-sustaining ecosystem, consist of pollution-sensing plants, transmitter plants and treatment plants.
Electrophysiology and Plant Perception
What differs it from 2020? It is fast and cheap!
Previously on Boston Coastline 2102, human has learned to live with water. They developed amphibian infrastructure that guarantees a functional daily life in reaction to various water level and flood intensity. With more interaction with water, however, the polluted submerged urban relic presented to be a ticking time-bomb. Not only does the construction material such as concrete and brick become sediment in the water, but also the soluble heavy metal chemical directly threatens people’s live. Not to mention the leaking of petroleum and the hidden pathogens inside obsolete sewer pipe.
Phyto-remediation
The mechanism for the Plant Vigilante, is to first allow pollution-sensing plants to detect the sudden change of water dynamic and water temperature, which foreshadows the sudden massive breaks down of underwater relics. Then the transmitter plants will amplify the signals given off by sensing plants and carry it on to treatment plant and artificial sensors. On one hand the treatment plants will accelerate their growth in potential polluted area to relief the damage. On the other, human will harvest the prediction made by plant and decide weather they are going to evacuate people or make interventions.
Prototyping ideas:
Manual for installing Plant Vigilante on the shoreline:
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