Nature Computer Interaction¶
System Architecture¶
System diagram
Behavioral Logic¶
The system operates through a layered behavioral structure combining environmental states and biological modulation.
Environmental Baseline (Soil Moisture)¶
Soil moisture defines the primary breathing mode of the artificial organism.
Three states determine distinct pneumatic patterns:
- DRY — short, tense cycles with higher pressure peaks and nervous gaps.
- OK — symmetrical inhale/exhale rhythm with smooth easing curves and stable pauses.
- WET — slower inflation followed by irregular deflation, resembling saturation and dripping.
Each state modifies the internal pump timing, pressure amplitude, and pause structure.
Soil moisture therefore shapes the temporal and structural character of respiration.
Humidity based Led Colors, frames from videshooting session with Pedro Rodrigues
Biological Accent (Heartbeat)¶
When a heartbeat is detected, it does not replace the environmental state.
Instead, each beat introduces a temporary pressure accent layered over the ongoing breathing cycle.
The pulse generates:
- A short sinusoidal envelope
- A dynamic pressure boost proportional to signal intensity
- Mode-dependent amplification (stronger in DRY, softer in WET)
The resulting motion is a hybrid rhythm:
- Environmental condition defines the base respiration.
- Human heartbeat introduces transient dynamic modulation.
The system becomes a shared temporal structure rather than a hierarchical override.
Multimodal Expression¶
Pneumatic Expression¶
Breathing embodies the layered behavioral logic.
Environmental states determine the structure and intensity of inflation cycles, while heartbeat introduces momentary pressure accents. The pneumatic body becomes the primary site where biological and environmental data are physically materialized.
Light Expression¶
The LED system operates as a parallel visual translation of environmental and biological signals.
Soil moisture defines the base chromatic state:
- DRY → 🟡 warm yellow tones
- OK → 🟢🔵 green–cyan gradient
- WET → 🟣 purple/violet spectrum
When a heartbeat is detected, a ❤️ red wave propagates across the strip, its amplitude proportional to signal intensity.
Light therefore mirrors the breathing logic while introducing an additional rhythmic dimension.
Sonic Expression¶
At this stage, the sound component operates in two possible configurations depending on the installation context.
In the current working setup, sound is produced directly through the Pocket Scion device, making the plant’s bioelectrical activity immediately audible in a simple and direct way.
For more immersive exhibition formats, the project also foresees an expanded spatial audio layer, developed through Web Audio in collaboration with Marco Accardi / Anecoica Studio. In this configuration, environmental, physiological, and plant data can be translated into a broader generative sonic environment.
This means that sound exists as a modular layer:
in its essential form, as direct audible output from the plant; in its extended form, as a spatial and generative audio environment for immersive installations.
Visual Expression¶
The visual layer is not required for the core functioning of the system, but is intended for immersive exhibition contexts where projection and expanded spatial narration make sense.
In these situations, video can accompany the biohybrid system as an additional interpretive layer, extending the atmospheric and perceptual dimension of the installation. Rather than representing data literally, the visual component is conceived as a spatial and poetic amplification of the system’s behaviors.
The system is therefore modular: plant, breathing structure, and light form the core interactive organism, while spatial sound and video can be added as exhibition-specific layers depending on the context.
CURRENT VERSION¶
In this stage, I chose to keep the ecosystem as minimal and autonomous as possible, without relying on a computer or on the audiovisual tools I usually work with. The intention was to let the biohybrid system function as a self-contained organism, with sound and video remaining optional layers for immersive exhibition contexts.