Volcanoes National Park has lent itself as a perfect backdrop for the pods, which are being used to analyze climate changes and watch endangered plants. All the scientists are always asking us if they can see the pods. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is sending a team of researchers to equip several dozen of the pods with cutting-edge sensors. Next up is landing some corporate funding. Agrichemical giant Monsanto has shown preliminary interest in using the pods to monitor crop moisture levels and plant conditions, Chee said.
Bridges also envisions the sensors as futuristic teaching tools.
One minute you could be looking at real flowers in a real jungle in Borneo, the next at a storm on the Alaskan tundra. This technology could really open up classrooms to the world. The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of Gannett Co .