Source: VincrossAll too often, our houseplants can meet untimely deaths brought about by exposure to less than ideal conditions and good old-fashioned neglect. As such, a Chinese roboticist was inspired to develop a solution to the problem by creating a robot that would move plants in search of the best environmental conditions for survival.

Inspired by a dead sunflower, Sun Tianqi of the robotics firm Vincross, said, “I thought if it could move a little bit, take a 30-feet walk out of the shadow to where the other sunflowers were, it would have lived healthily."

Born from that was a robot capable of moving plants from location to location in search of better conditions. Tianqi used the existing Vincross HEXA robot model as the jumping-off point for the plant-moving robot and "built a dual-layer ‘flowerpot,’ which replaced HEXA’s shell."

"With a robotic rover base, plants can experience mobility and interaction," explained Tianqi.

According to its site, HEXA is a "six-legged, highly maneuverable, compact robot that comes complete with all the necessary sensors."

The robot, which resembles a spider, is capable of following sunlight, seeking shelter and dancing to signal plant thirst.

Currently, the robot includes an Echeveria Hakuhou, a succulent plant, however, it is believed that the robots can also accommodate different plants as well.