A grounded solution to wildfire detection

We've long known that living plant material carries an electrical charge. Ever used a potato to power a clock?

Now, researchers have taken that concept to the forest. This article in Popular Mechanics explains how one company plans to manufacture wildfire detection devices that will be powered by the trees they are affixed to.

A minor difference of acidity between soil and tree leads to an imbalance of hydrogen ions, thus generating voltage.

Voltree Power is coming up with some prototypes to put in place for field tests with the U.S. Forest Service in spring 2009.

How will the sensors communicate back the news that a fire has been detected? According to PM, "a mesh network of sensors could bounce a signal from tree to wired tree until it reaches one of the 2200 automated weather stations scattered through the country. These, in turn, would beam the data via satellite back to the National Interagency Fire Center in Idaho."

Cool stuff. If you have a kid, make sure he or she is participating in school science fairs. You never know if they'll eventually have the next big idea.

For any potato clock disbelievers, here's a short video.