When I walked into the NYC Resistor hackerspace in Brooklyn last October, a set of large glass cases quickly drew me over. Inside, a ferris wheel-like circle of platforms punched with holes stood ready to begin turning. I couldn’t imagine what they could possibly be for.

I later caught up with one of the creators of the mysterious cubes: Chris Beauvois, an NYC Resistor member who told me that they are called GrowCubes and serve as a controlled environment to efficiently grow plants indoors. After growing steadily for three years, Beauvois said GrowCubes is nearing the moment where it will be ready to place units in homes.

The cubes can be used to grow lettuce, chives, radishes, strawberries, herbs and many other types of fruits and vegetables that don’t need a large amount of space. As lamp technology improves, Beauvois said they expect to add to the library of possibilities.