The developers of a biodegradable urn that turns the ashes of a dead person into a tree have designed an incubator to aid the growth process (+ slideshow).

The Bios Incube is the latest development from Bios Urn, the startup behind the biodegradable urn that holds cremated ashes and comes with a seed inside that grows into a tree.

When the urn is buried in the soil-filled smart incubator, users can monitor the progress of the plant's growth using a smartphone app.

The Bios Incube is described as the "first tree incubator designed for the afterlife" by its designers.

"More and more people are looking for environmentally conscious and economically feasible ways to bury those who have passed, and the Bios Incube offers that and more," said the Bios Urn team.
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"It has been designed for city dwellers, those seeking ?alternatives to cemeteries, and for people who want to meaningfully connect with their loved ones who have passed away," they added.

Bios Urn was originally developed in 1997 by Spanish designer Gerard Moline?, who relaunched the product in 2013 with his brother Roger.
The Bios Incube, launched on Kickstarter earlier this month, is equipped with a built-in self-watering system that is triggered by a sensor device attached to the surface of the soil.

Water is held within a double-skin that surrounds the...