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An automated mini lettuce factory. Very cool. 90,000 US$. Not so cool anymore. "Recoup the investment in about five years." Way too long. Opportunity for a har

An automated mini lettuce factory. Very cool. 90,000 US$. Not so cool anymore. "Recoup the investment in about five years." Way too long. Opportunity for a hardware startup? I'd say yes.

ph0rque 16y ago
I looked at this and said, $90 freaking k? I bet the hardware costs are less than $1k.
sasvari 16y ago
Opportunity for a hardware startup? I'd say yes. I second. There should be also a possibility for a DIY project. This doesn't look too complicated to build.
- petervandijck 16y ago
  I think restaurants would pay for this, if it takes little space, can be outdoors (even in the winter), and is much, much cheaper and easier to use.
ojbyrne 16y ago
It doesn't even automate the adding of seeds.
DLWormwood 16y ago
This appears meant for use in Eastern Asia, where real estate (especially for farming) can cost dear in places. Also, I can see how this machine could be adapted to nurture other kinds of vegetables that might also help recoup the investment.
jules 16y ago
Not to mention that during the summer you'll be competing with good old gardens. Growing lettuce is as easy as throwing a handful of seeds on a patch of land and harvesting a couple of weeks later.
- KC8ZKF 16y ago
  Except for the birds and the rabbits and the weeds and the insects and the mold and the soil and the rain...
  - jules 16y ago
    Hasn't been a problem for me. Yes, the birds eat some of the seeds, but plenty remain. Slugs can be a problem though.
- petervandijck 16y ago
  Restaurants don't usually have gardens.
allenp 16y ago
The $90k could be price anchoring in order to have leverage when negotiating a deal with a chain of restaurants ( so they end up selling them at $20k / ea since they are selling so many).
ultrasaurus 16y ago
I imagine they have to re-coup the fixed costs over not many units. But the real target isn't restaurants saving money, it's some combination of the coolness factor (this won't be hidden in a back room, it'll a part of the dining room) and riding on the coattails of the local-food-is-always-better movements.

An automated mini lettuce factory. Very cool. 90,000 US$. Not so cool anymore. "Recoup the investment in about five years." Way too long. Opportunity for a hardware startup? I'd say yes.

ph0rque 16y ago

I looked at this and said, $90 freaking k? I bet the hardware costs are less than $1k.

sasvari 16y ago

Opportunity for a hardware startup? I'd say yes. I second. There should be also a possibility for a DIY project. This doesn't look too complicated to build.

petervandijck 16y ago
I think restaurants would pay for this, if it takes little space, can be outdoors (even in the winter), and is much, much cheaper and easier to use.

ojbyrne 16y ago

It doesn't even automate the adding of seeds.

DLWormwood 16y ago

This appears meant for use in Eastern Asia, where real estate (especially for farming) can cost dear in places. Also, I can see how this machine could be adapted to nurture other kinds of vegetables that might also help recoup the investment.

jules 16y ago

Not to mention that during the summer you'll be competing with good old gardens. Growing lettuce is as easy as throwing a handful of seeds on a patch of land and harvesting a couple of weeks later.

KC8ZKF 16y ago
Except for the birds and the rabbits and the weeds and the insects and the mold and the soil and the rain...
- jules 16y ago
  Hasn't been a problem for me. Yes, the birds eat some of the seeds, but plenty remain. Slugs can be a problem though.
petervandijck 16y ago
Restaurants don't usually have gardens.

allenp 16y ago

The $90k could be price anchoring in order to have leverage when negotiating a deal with a chain of restaurants ( so they end up selling them at $20k / ea since they are selling so many).

ultrasaurus 16y ago

I imagine they have to re-coup the fixed costs over not many units. But the real target isn't restaurants saving money, it's some combination of the coolness factor (this won't be hidden in a back room, it'll a part of the dining room) and riding on the coattails of the local-food-is-always-better movements.