Masdar City’s ‘smart garden’ teaches kids basics of homegrown food

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Masdar City is one of the world’s most sustainable developments. It is a working model for cities around the world in environmental, economic and social sustainability.

The sustainable city is home to the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency, hundreds of entrepreneurs, and a leading graduate-level research institute. There is something more: it continues to push the boundaries of innovation. Now it is championing green gusto, literally. In a new move, it is helping children  grow their own plants and find out more about the importance of saving water and recycling.

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This month, young visitors to Kidzania’s outlets at The Dubai Mall and Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall, will learn the basics of how to easily grow healthy fruits and vegetables at home, through a unique interactive experience delivered by Masdar City-based start-up innovation, the HydroArtPod.

The HydroArtPod has been developed by Masdar City-based tech start-up, byAlinePate, which is currently being incubated at the sustainability focused startup accelerator, The Catalyst.

Children at each mall will get hands-on experience of the HydroArtPod.

As part of KidZania’s ‘Kids For A Greener World’ interactive workshop, kids will learn how easy it is to grow fruits and vegetables at home using the HydroArtPod, an app-controlled smart garden that empowers and enables people to grow food and flowers indoors.

Children at each mall will get hands-on experience of the HydroArtPod, giving them the opportunity to explore their natural environment and understand how they can contribute towards protecting it.

HydroArtPod inventor Aline Pate said, “My inspiration for designing the HydroArtPod was to help every home be able to make a little difference toward their own health and minimise our impact on the environment. KidZania’s Kids For A Greener World is an important initiative to raise awareness among younger generations about food production and the environment. We are delighted to partner with KidZania and Emaar in helping the next generation learn how to take care of our world.”

The automated HydroArtPod requires minimal user effort, removes the need for chemicals, packaging and transportation, and ensures a steady supply of fresh produce with minimal food waste. Users can also grow edible and decorative flowers easily at home. The HydroArtPod can be mounted on the walls in a home for easy access, while also looking like a piece of art.