A reader points to an interesting citizen-science crowd-funding campaign: Infragram: the Infrared Photography Project by Public Lab — Kickstarter (they have far exceeded their goal and still have 26 days left) :
A simple, cheap infrared camera which can measure plant health — for geek gardeners, farmers, and open source DIY scientists.
What could farmers, gardeners, students or environmental activists do with an infrared camera that costs as little as $35?
What is Infragram?
Infragram is a simple, affordable near-infrared camera produced by the Public Laboratory community in a series of collaborative experiments over the last few years. We originally developed this technology to monitor wetlands damages in the wake of the BP oil spill, but its simplicity of use and easy-to-modify open-source hardware & software makes it a useful tool for home gardeners, hikers, makers, farmers, amateur scientists, teachers, artists, and anyone curious about the secret lives of plants.
What can you do with Infragram?
- Take pictures to examine plant health in backyard gardens, farms, parks, and nearby wetlands
- Check on the health of your crops, especially from a balloon or a kite
- Monitor your household plants
- Teach students about plant growth and photosynthesis
- Create exciting science fair projects
- Generate verifiable, open environmental data
- Check progress of environmental restoration projects
- Pretend you have super-veg-powers