Thanks, MIT. Why don't you just make the rest of the world feel a little more useless. Every week or so, we're forced to stare at yet another amazing invention coming from your doors; to be frank, it's just downright unfair. All childish angst aside, the latest idea to come from the institution is one that could certainly be put to good use: a self-sustaining sensor network that taps into trees for power in order to continuously monitor forests for threats of fire. Moreover, the concept could be applied in other scenarios as well -- to detect potential threats such as smuggled contraband along a nation's borders, perhaps. Testing of the wireless sensor network (developed by the appropriately named Voltree Power) is scheduled to begin next spring, and we're hearing that pot-sniffing turtles may even be brought in to create a completely natural self-policing environment.

[Via Inhabitat]

Behold the Solar Trees of Vienna, set to be unveiled in front of the MAK Museum on October 8th. It's just the latest from Ross Lovegrove who's already graced our pages with his Muon speaker and System X lighting system. Developed in coordination with Italian lighting Co. Artemide and solar cell Co. Sharp Solar, the installation could help wash away the godless hellscape of urban decay in the sweet bouquet of luminescent Lilies. Or not, depending upon its practical application. So if anyone happens to be in the area during the unveiling at 20.30 local time, by all means, send us some pictures and your thoughts -- Detroit awaits your response.

[Via Inhabitat]

Taking a much more, um, direct approach to educating consumers about the need to conserve energy, the EnergyTree concept PC presents a simple proposition to the user: use energy efficiently, and the tree contained within the case will be cared for. Get greedy with the juice (by joining the Engadget Folding@home team, for example), and the tree will be straight-up poisoned and killed. The concept, by UK evil genius designer Ben Arent, was recently picked as one of the 34 finalists in the 2007 Microsoft StartSomething design competition. The tree PC (treeputer?) contains a host of sensors and interfaces to monitor energy usage in an entire house, and can even turn ancillary devices on and off to keep your energy usage low (and that tree alive). While it's interesting to see an explicit attempt to turn energy consumption into an emotional experience, we think we're going to stick with those EnergyStar stickers -- they never threaten to kill anything.

[Via Crave]

As any mad scientist can tell you, all things natural can be improved upon through robotics. In homage to this axiom we bring you the robotic tree, Breeze, the horrific robotonous embodiment of juvenescent nightmares. Described as an ambient robot inhabiting the body of a Japanese Maple, Breeze can "visually sense" and react "allowing her to reach out to you and others whenever you are near." Its "subtle and artistic" movement is created through Nitinol wires which flex like muscles when electrical current is applied. Of course, it's only a matter of time until DARPA advances the technology into a forest of seemingly passive attack trees with razor sharp leaves and poisonous needles. Lorax, can you look into this... Lorax?

[Via Robot Gossip]