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Concept | name of your project

Symbiotic EcoSystem
(working title – subject to evolve during development)

Symbiotic EcoSystem is an interactive, multisensory system that explores the relationship between human presence, biological processes, and artificial bodies.
The project investigates how living systems (plants, human physiological signals) and technological systems (electronics, pneumatics, sound synthesis) can coexist and influence each other, creating a shared responsive environment.

Rather than representing life, the installation behaves like a living organism, where inputs, delays, reactions and instabilities become part of the experience.

The project explores how biological signals can be translated into slow, multisensory behaviors that challenge human-centered models of interaction.

State of Art-Starting Point

This project builds upon the initial proposal presented in the Implication and Application assignment (Week 13).

Project Presentation Proposal on Canva, Carlotta Premazzi, 2025/2026 Biolab Lisbon.

The concept has been refined through technical and material exploration, maintaining its original intent while narrowing its scope.

5 Ws who, what, when, where, why

who

The project is designed for human participants, whose presence and biological signals activate and influence the system.
The human body is not treated as a controller, but as one biological agent among others, interacting with plant-based and artificial components.

what

An interactive installation composed of: - a plant-based sensing system
- a pneumatic artificial body
- sound synthesis reacting to biological data

The system translates physiological and environmental signals into movement and sound, creating a feedback loop between the human, the plant, and the machine.

when

The project is developed during Fabricademy 2025–2026 as an evolving research-based work.
It is conceived as a modular system that can grow and adapt over time.

where

The installation is intended for exhibition spaces, such as: - galleries
- museums
- festivals
- immersive environments

The system can be adapted to different spatial configurations.

why

The project questions the idea of control and separation between human, nature and technology.
By creating a shared responsive system, Symbiotic Pulse explores: - interdependence instead of dominance
- technology as a living language
- interaction as a form of empathy

The work invites participants to experience technology not as a tool, but as a sensitive organism.

Sensor test

Sensor testing — Carlotta Premazzi, BioLab Lisbon, Fabricademy 2026

Schetck

Concept sketch — Carlotta Premazzi, BioLab Lisbon, Fabricademy 2026

Prototype

Soft robotics prototype exploring pneumatic movement for an artificial plant. Carlotta Premazzi, BioLab Lisbon, Fabricademy 2026

References projects, research papers, expos, performances etc

🔗 References

Plant Intelligence & Plant Signaling

  • Brenner ED, Stahlberg R, Mancuso S, Vivanco J, Baluska F, Van Volkenburgh E. Plant neurobiology: an integrated view of plant signaling. Trends Plant Sci. 2006 Aug;11(8):413-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2006.06.009. Epub 2006 Jul 13. PMID: 16843034.
  • Plant Signaling & Behavior, Volume 20, Issue 1 (2025)Taylor & Francis Online: Peer-reviewed Journals

Multispecies Interaction & More-than-Human Design - Giaccardi, Elisa & Redström, Johan. (2020). Technology and More-Than-Human Design. Design Issues. 36. 33-44. 10.1162/desi_a_00612. - Haraway, Donna J. (2016), Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene, Durham: Duke University Press.

Soft Robotics & Biomimetic Systems

  • Soft Robotics Journal (MIT Press)
  • Biology and bioinspiration of soft robotics: Actuation, sensing, and system integration, Ren, Luquan et al, iScience, Volume 24, Issue 9, 103075

Biofeedback & Physiological Computing

  • Kandel E., Schwartz J. H. , Jessell T. M. , Siegelbaum S. A. , Hudspeth A. J. , Principles of Neural Science , Fourth Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2013
  • Buzsáki G., Rhythms of the brain , Oxford University Press, 2006
  • Nijholt A., Contreras-Vidal J.L., Jeunet C., Väljamäe A., Brain-Computer Interfaces for Non-clinical (Home, Sports, Art, Entertainment, Education, Well-Being) Applications , Frontiers in Computer Science, 2022
  • Nijholt, A., Brain Art Brain-Computer Interfaces for Artistic Expression, Springer, Cham, 2019

Immersive & Multisensory Interaction Design

  • Löwgren, J., & Stolterman, E. — Thoughtful Interaction Design, 2007, The MIT Press
  • Anna Ståhl, Madeline Balaam, Rob Comber, Pedro Sanches, and Kristina Höök. 2022. Making New Worlds – Transformative Becomings with Soma Design. In Proceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '22). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 176, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1145/3491102.3502018
Related Artistic & Design References

Bio-responsive & Kinetic Installations - Studio Drift — Shylight
https://studiodrift.com/work/shylight/

Plant-based & Ecological Interaction - PNAT Project Nature — The Hidden Plant Community
https://www.pnat.net/it/project/the-hidden-plant-community/

Biological Light & Living Materials - Teresa van Dongen — Bioluminescent Light Projects
https://www.teresavandongen.com/ - Philips Research — Bio-Light (2012)
https://www.dezeen.com/2012/10/29/bio-light-by-philips-design/

Environmental Light & Landscape-scale Interaction - Studio Roosegaarde — Glowing Nature / Glowing Garden
https://www.studioroosegaarde.net/project/glowing-nature/

Computational Ecology & Synthetic Natures - ecoLogicStudio — H.O.R.T.U.S. XL Astaxanthin.g
https://www.ecologicstudio.com/projects/h-o-r-t-u-s-xl-astaxanthin-g

Moodboard

implication-and-application-cp-moodboard Moodboard by Carlotta Premazzi 2026

Learning outcomes

  • Research skills: the participant has acquired knowledge through references: concept development, research, where does the project innovate
  • Design skills: the participant has learnt through making a mood board, sketches/preliminary designs
  • Process skills: the participant is able to define their project in Who, What, When, Where, Why
  • Fabrication skills: the participant leant via simple quick prototypes or (material) samples
  • Final outcome: Personal Final Project page, sketch of project planning & first Gantt chart
  • Originality: Has the design and innovation been thought through and elaborated?

Student checklist

  • [ ] Set up your final project page, document the concept, sketches, artistic and scientific references
  • [ ] Answer the 5W: Who, What, When, Where, Why
  • [ ] Create a quick prototype of your concept. (physical, digital, collage or render)
  • [ ] Start a mood board to give insight in a first look and feel of your project concept