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An incubator for the afterlife

An incubator for the afterlife
The Bios Incube is an incubator for the Bios Urn, a biodegradable urn that uses a person's ashes to help grow a tree after their death
The Bios Incube is an incubator for the Bios Urn, a biodegradable urn that uses a person's ashes to help grow a tree after their death
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The Bios Incube provides more freedom over where the Bios Urn can be planted, along with control over the growing process
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The Bios Incube provides more freedom over where the Bios Urn can be planted, along with control over the growing process
The Bios Incube is an incubator for the Bios Urn, a biodegradable urn that uses a person's ashes to help grow a tree after their death
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The Bios Incube is an incubator for the Bios Urn, a biodegradable urn that uses a person's ashes to help grow a tree after their death
The Bios Incube is supplied with a Bios Urn
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The Bios Incube is supplied with a Bios Urn
Ashes are placed into the lower section of the Bios Urn, while a seed of any type is placed in to the upper section, along with some growth medium and soil
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Ashes are placed into the lower section of the Bios Urn, while a seed of any type is placed in to the upper section, along with some growth medium and soil
The Bios Urn is planted into the Bios Incube and the sensor is placed onto the top of the soil
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The Bios Urn is planted into the Bios Incube and the sensor is placed onto the top of the soil
The Bios Incube can be placed indoors or outdoors
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The Bios Incube can be placed indoors or outdoors
The Bios Incube has a tasteful and minimal design
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The Bios Incube has a tasteful and minimal design
Inside the walls of the Bios Incube is a 3-gal (11-l) water reservoir with a built-in irrigation system
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Inside the walls of the Bios Incube is a 3-gal (11-l) water reservoir with a built-in irrigation system
The growing conditions of the Bios Incube can be monitored via an accompanying mobile app for Android or iOS
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The growing conditions of the Bios Incube can be monitored via an accompanying mobile app for Android or iOS
In the event of a problem with the growing conditions of the Bios Incube, a notification will be sent to the user via the app
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In the event of a problem with the growing conditions of the Bios Incube, a notification will be sent to the user via the app
The app also allows the user to monitor the progress of the tree itself
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The app also allows the user to monitor the progress of the tree itself
It's also possible to have a tree incubated at one of the company's "Incube Centers"
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It's also possible to have a tree incubated at one of the company's "Incube Centers"
The Bios Incube can be used to grow almost any type of tree
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The Bios Incube can be used to grow almost any type of tree
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Using cremation ashes to help grow a tree is an elegant, sensitive and natural way to memorialize someone after their death. This is what the Bios Urn, from a Barcelona-based company of the same name, is designed to do. The new Bios Incube provides more freedom and control in doing so.

The Bios Urn was first launched in 1997 and was relaunched in 2013. It is a biodegradable urn, into the lower section of which ashes are placed and into the upper section of which a seed of any tree-type is placed, along with some growth medium and soil. The ashes ultimately become part of the growth medium for the tree as it grows into an environmentally-friendly memorial of a loved one or, indeed, a pet.

The Bios Incube acts as an incubator for the Bios Urn, aimed at giving people more control over where the urn is planted and optimizing the growing conditions for the chosen tree. It takes the form of a 30 x 13-in (76 x 33-cm) polypropylene pot with a tasteful and minimal design. Inside the walls of the pot is a 3-gal (11-l) water reservoir with a built-in irrigation system, and there's a sensor for monitoring the growing conditions.

To begin with, the Bios Urn is planted inside of the Bios Incube, which can be kept inside or outside depending on the user's preference and the growing requirements of the seed. The sensor is then placed on the surface of the soil to track moisture, ground temperature, levels of light exposure, electrical conductivity and humidity.

Using an algorithm to make sense of the data and "understand" the needs of the tree, the system will water the tree automatically as per the requirements of its specific type. The reservoir can store enough water for an average of 20 days before needing to be topped up, and the system will also keep tabs on the quality of the water.

The growing conditions of the Bios Incube can be monitored via an accompanying mobile app for Android or iOS
The growing conditions of the Bios Incube can be monitored via an accompanying mobile app for Android or iOS

The sensor connects to a user's home WiFi network and relays the data collected to an accompanying mobile app for Android or iOS, meaning progress can be monitored from anywhere with an internet connection. In the event of a problem, such as the water quality not being good enough, the temperature not being right for the tree or the tree needing more sunlight, notifications will be sent to the user via the app.

The Bios Incube is provided with a Bios Urn and access to the mobile app. It's also possible to have a tree incubated at one of the company's "Incube Centers" if that is preferred.

A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign is under way for the Bios Incube. At the time of writing, individuals who pledge from €350 (about US$384) can receive one of the incubators, assuming all goes to plan with the campaign and roll-out. Shipping is expected from November.

The video below provides an overview of the Bios Incube.

Sources: Bios Incube, Kickstarter

Bios Incube. The world's first incubator for the afterlife.

View gallery - 13 images
5 comments
5 comments
Daishi
I confess an IoT Urn isn't something I was expecting to see so soon. I think the last thing on the list to be connected to the Internet has officially now been crossed off. I'm impressed we made it through the list even before completing the IPv6 rollout.
gizmowiz
If I had my way my cremated remains would be sent to space in a future commercial operation that spreads an urn full of ashes around the orbit of Earth such that within a few millenia at east one of my atoms should be in just about every life form on Earth.
The ultimate recycling.
So since no such operation exists now I'll have to settle for the best I can afford and that's for a loved one to spread them along the road to the top of Mt Evans.
And if you don't like me being a part of your future generations of offspring then tough luck!
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, atoms away.
Nigel Allen
Nice idea but a little exorbitant for a self-watering plant pot.
zr2s10
It sounds nice, and I like this better than the one that you just plant outside and hope for the best. It seems like overkill at first, but then think about what it's for. Ultimately, it helps your loved ones feel like there's a new life (albeit plant life) arising from your ashes. If you just plant it outside, and it also dies? They're going to get pretty upset. That's what I see as the downside to the whole bio-urn movement. At least with this system, the tree stands a better chance at a start, until it can be healthy enough to replant somewhere outside.
Wackybaby
WE ARE GROOT