PlantPal: Leveraging Precision Agriculture Robots to Facilitate Remote Engagement in Urban Gardening

TL;DR

PlantPal is a remote urban gardening system using precision agriculture robots to overcome space, expertise, and time barriers, fostering engagement and connection for users with limited gardening experience.

Contribution

This paper introduces PlantPal, a novel system that enables remote urban gardening through shared use of a precision agriculture robot, addressing practical barriers faced by urban gardeners.

Findings

Facilitated integration of gardening into daily routines

Fostered a sense of connection with the garden

Provided an engaging remote gardening experience

Abstract

Urban gardening is widely recognized for its numerous health and environmental benefits. However, the lack of suitable garden spaces, demanding daily schedules and limited gardening expertise present major roadblocks for citizens looking to engage in urban gardening. While prior research has explored smart home solutions to support urban gardeners, these approaches currently do not fully address these practical barriers. In this paper, we present PlantPal, a system that enables the cultivation of garden spaces irrespective of one's location, expertise level, or time constraints. PlantPal enables the shared operation of a precision agriculture robot (PAR) that is equipped with garden tools and a multi-camera system. Insights from a 3-week deployment (N=18) indicate that PlantPal facilitated the integration of gardening tasks into daily routines, fostered a sense of connection with one's field, and provided an engaging experience despite the remote setting. We contribute design considerations for future robot-assisted urban gardening concepts.