Groasis Waterboxx
Encyclopedia
Groasis Waterboxx is a plastic
box designed to help grow trees in dry areas. It is developed by Dutch
former flower exporter Pieter Hoff, and won the overall Popular Science
Green Tech Best of What’s New Innovation of the year award for 2010, ahead of the Apple iPad, Porsche 918 Spyder
and many others.
bucket
with a lid
. It has a vertical
tunnel
in the middle for two plants. A wick
allows water from inside the box to trickle into the ground. As a biomimicry
, it is modeled after bird feces
.
As of 2010, the development has taken 7 years and cost $7.1 million.
is placed around the plants. A wick
is inserted in the bottom of the Groasis which is then lowered over the plants and filled with water. Two lids are put on, funnels inserted and a cap plugs the top lid.
ing both a newly planted sapling and the ground around it from the heat of the sun, while providing water for the plant.
The lid collects water from rain and nighttime condensation
, which is then stored in the bucket.
The water-filled Groasis releases small amounts (around 50ml per day) of water into the ground by a wick
to water the tree and to encourage the tree to develop a root structure.
The box acts as a shield for the water in the upper ground, and this water then spreads down and out instead of being drawn to the surface and evaporated.
Both temperature
and humidity
beneath and inside the box are more stable night and day than without.
where nearly 90% of plants survived with the box compared to 10% without.
Apart from projects in warm arid areas, the box is being tested in wineries
and cold mountain regions.
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
box designed to help grow trees in dry areas. It is developed by Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
former flower exporter Pieter Hoff, and won the overall Popular Science
Popular Science
Popular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
Green Tech Best of What’s New Innovation of the year award for 2010, ahead of the Apple iPad, Porsche 918 Spyder
Porsche 918 Spyder
The Porsche 918 Spyder is a mid-engined sports car designed by Porsche and first shown as a concept at the 80th edition of the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. The Spyder is powered by a 3.4 litre V8 engine, developing , with three electric motors delivering an additional . It is the first plug-in...
and many others.
Background
Large land areas in the world are too dry for trees to survive. Although water may be present in the ground, it is often too deep for small trees to develop a root structure to reach.Design
The Groasis is a polypropylenePolypropylene
Polypropylene , also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes...
bucket
Bucket
A bucket, also called a pail, is typically a watertight, vertical cylinder or truncated cone, with an open top and a flat bottom, usually attached to a semicircular carrying handle called the bail. A pail can have an open top or can have a lid....
with a lid
Lid
LID is an abbreviation for:* Local light injection and detection, a method to determine fibre splice losses, especially in polarisation-maintaining fibre splicing...
. It has a vertical
Vertical
Vertical may refer to:*Vertical direction, the direction aligned with the direction of the force of gravity, as materialized with a plumb line...
tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
in the middle for two plants. A wick
Wick
Wick may refer to:* David Wicks, fictional character from a British soap opera. Not to be confused with David Wicks, American comedian/actor.* Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp...
allows water from inside the box to trickle into the ground. As a biomimicry
Biomimicry
Biomimicry or biomimetics is the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems. The term biomimicry and biomimetics come from the Greek words bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate...
, it is modeled after bird feces
Feces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
.
As of 2010, the development has taken 7 years and cost $7.1 million.
Installation
A hole is dug in the ground by a human or a machine. Two plants are planted in the hole, and a cardboardCardboard
Corrugated fiberboard is a paper-based material consisting of a fluted corrugated sheet and one or two flat linerboards. It is widely used in the manufacture of corrugated boxes and shipping containers....
is placed around the plants. A wick
Wick
Wick may refer to:* David Wicks, fictional character from a British soap opera. Not to be confused with David Wicks, American comedian/actor.* Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp...
is inserted in the bottom of the Groasis which is then lowered over the plants and filled with water. Two lids are put on, funnels inserted and a cap plugs the top lid.
Function
It works as a plant incubator, shelterShelter
Shelter is a basic architectural structure or building that provides cover. The word may also refer to:-Places:*Port Shelter, Hong Kong*Shelter Bay , various locations*Shelter Cove , various locations...
ing both a newly planted sapling and the ground around it from the heat of the sun, while providing water for the plant.
The lid collects water from rain and nighttime condensation
Condensation
Condensation is the change of the physical state of matter from gaseous phase into liquid phase, and is the reverse of vaporization. When the transition happens from the gaseous phase into the solid phase directly, the change is called deposition....
, which is then stored in the bucket.
The water-filled Groasis releases small amounts (around 50ml per day) of water into the ground by a wick
Wick
Wick may refer to:* David Wicks, fictional character from a British soap opera. Not to be confused with David Wicks, American comedian/actor.* Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp...
to water the tree and to encourage the tree to develop a root structure.
The box acts as a shield for the water in the upper ground, and this water then spreads down and out instead of being drawn to the surface and evaporated.
Both temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
and humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
beneath and inside the box are more stable night and day than without.
Applications
The box has been tested for 3 years at the Oudja University in MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
where nearly 90% of plants survived with the box compared to 10% without.
Apart from projects in warm arid areas, the box is being tested in wineries
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
and cold mountain regions.
See also
- AgroforestryAgroforestryAgroforestry is an integrated approach of using the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock.It combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land-use systems.-Definitions:According to...
- Ecological engineering methodsEcological engineering methodsEcological Engineering Methods is when researchers try to tap biologically-based energy sources. Some projects include engineering new organisms that produce hydrogen from water and sunlight in environmentally friendly ways with no waste products, and transforming the way man interacts with the...
- Green Sahara