GROOT: An Interactive Talking Plant Pot for Plant Health Monitoring and User Engagement

The difficulty of looking after plants in house settings often prevents people, especially the elderly and hospital patients, from enjoying plants as a source of emotional wellbeing while coping with social isolation. This study presents GROOT - Smart Plant Monitoring System, an original approach to enhance plant care and facilitate a companionship. GROOT employs temperature, moisture, soil, and light intensity sensors managed by an Arduino, and processed via Raspberry Pi, with data storage supplied by Firebase. A Java based Android application provides users with real-time plant health information, while a Rasa-based AI chatbot facilitates user-plant conversation. Results from a prototype tested in small-scale home settings show that GROOT monitors plant health effectively and enhances users’ satisfaction by providing changes in care instruction and emo- tional support. This is significant because it envisions plants as active partners in mental health, the GROOT system represents a multi-component scalable and low cost system which enhances quality of life and reduces feelings of isolation for vulnerable users [1]. By combining horticulture precision and empathic technology, GROOT exemplifies the power of smart systems to provide personal wellness.