A 17-year-old student in Arizona has developed a smart bandage that could offer a new way to spot disease in one of the Sonoran Desert’s most recognisable plants.
Jorge Covarrubias, a senior at Harvest Preparatory Academy in Yuma, created a project called KáktosPatch to detect bacterial necrosis in saguaro cacti before the infection causes widespread damage. The system combines a biodegradable bandage with a smartphone app that analyses colour changes produced by the material.
