The Rotofarm Is a NASA-Inspired, Sculptural Hydroponic System

Are you amongst the new “crop” of those interested in growing your own fresh herbs and vegetables from home right now? Most leafy greens, herbs, microgreens/sprouts, edible flowers  – and yes, cannabis – can be grown indoors throughout the year with the right set-up balancing amounts of light and water, which is exactly what the Rotofarm indoor hydroponic gardening system aims to deliver in a decor-friendly form factor suitable for open display in the kitchen.

Equipped with a 360-degrees rotating LED lighting system, the Rotofarm borrows from the well-established science of hydroponic growth systems, eliminating the need for soil to grow plants quickly and easily, optimized further with app-controlled automation controls that takes the responsibility of watering and lighting.

The system was developed referencing research done by NASA related to plant growth in zero-gravity conditions, resulting in a rotating design that spins every 46 minutes uses a sun-replicating LED lighting source in its center. The rotation motion not only delivers evenly distributed light, but also eliminates the growth-restricting force of gravity to improve growth.

Because the Rotofarm’s Sun+ Lighting system can introduce a bright light source into any space, there’s the option to use an Eclipse Cover – a sort of sunglasses for the hydroponic system that also increases humidity while maintaining sufficient air flow across growing crops.

The Rotoform is outfitted with 20 slots for plants, enough to supplement a diet with fresh herbs and vegetables. The system does require the use of custom-designed Bace Seed Pods, each composed of 100% biodegradable coconut fiber and formulated to deliver an optimized growth medium for seeds to turn into sprouts and eventually full grown produce to harvest, but no doubt owners will eventually investigate DIYing their own pods to widen options.

The Rotoform system is currently in crowdfunding, pre-order status over at Indiegogo.