Plants might be silent companions, but with Bloom Buddy, they finally get a voice—and even a mood! Created by Mukesh Sankhla, Bloom Buddy is an interactive plant care assistant designed to make gardening both fun and educational. At its heart is the DFRobot Unihiker K10, a smart board based on the powerful ESP32 chip. This clever device combines environmental sensing with expressive visual feedback to help you understand exactly what your plant needs—without needing a green thumb or deep tech knowledge.
So how does it work? Bloom Buddy monitors several key environmental factors like soil moisture, temperature, humidity, and ambient light. When conditions aren't ideal—for example, if the soil is dry or the room is too warm—the device expresses its "feelings" through animated facial expressions on its screen. It might look tired, sad, or shivering depending on the situation. But water your plant or place it in better lighting, and you’ll see it perk right up with a happy face and cheerful animations.
What makes Bloom Buddy stand out is how it bridges the gap between technology and emotion. It's not just a sensor and a screen—it’s a mini companion that reacts in real time, adding an emotional layer to the process of plant care. The project uses voice feedback and even ambient sound detection to enhance interactivity, making it feel like you’re actually taking care of a living character. It also has a built-in day/night mode, which dims the display and “sleeps” when it’s dark—just like your plant.
This combination of hardware and software is brought to life with 3D-printed parts that give the device its adorable appearance. Everything runs from an SD card, and the Arduino IDE makes it easy to upload custom animations or modify behavior. It’s a brilliant example of how maker projects can turn ordinary routines—like watering your houseplants—into delightful experiences that teach you more about technology, coding, and even biology.
Whether you’re a student looking to explore electronics, a hobbyist with a love for 3D printing, or just someone who often forgets to water your plants, Bloom Buddy is a charming and clever project worth checking out. It proves that tech can be both functional and heartwarming, encouraging even the most tech-shy people to get hands-on with DIY electronics.
Originally published on Hackster.io ➜
