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Process

This page documents the development process of the project, from early ideation to first material, electronic and interaction tests.
The process is intentionally exploratory, allowing the system to evolve through experimentation, feedback and material behaviour.

Ideation & sketches

The ideation phase started from conceptual questions rather than predefined forms.
Initial sketches focus on relationships rather than objects: connections between human presence, plant sensing, pneumatic movement and sound.

Early drawings and notes explore: - the idea of a shared biological system - the role of the human as a temporary activator rather than a controller - translation of invisible signals into movement and sound - breathing, pulse and delay as temporal structures

Hand-drawings and “prototypes” were used to quickly visualize possible system architectures, without aiming for technical precision at this stage.

Parallel to sketching, visual references and previous projects were analysed to understand how similar concepts were translated into physical and interactive systems.

Research papers and online references related to: - plant sensing and electrophysiology
- biofeedback systems
- soft robotics and pneumatics
are collected and will be progressively linked or added as PDFs to the repository.

Design & Fabrication

The design phase focuses on breaking down the project into functional modules rather than a single object.

At this stage, the system is divided into: - sensing (plant and human input) - actuation (pneumatic body) - sound generation - control and mapping logic

Early fabrication tests are exploratory, aimed at understanding material behaviour, scale and responsiveness rather than aesthetics.

This phase is important because it shifts the project from a conceptual framework to a physical system.
Through small tests, decisions about materials, structure and interaction logic start to emerge.

System overview (current state)

System overview diagram made in Miro, Carlotta Premazzi, BioLab Lisbon, Fabricademy 2026 This diagram represents the current system architecture, showing inputs, sensing, control, computation and outputs.
The structure is evolving and will be refined through further testing.

Functional layers

Functional layers diagram made in Miro, Carlotta Premazzi, BioLab Lisbon, Fabricademy 2026

System as organism

System as organism diagram made in Miro, Carlotta Premazzi, BioLab Lisbon, Fabricademy 2026

Plan A / Plan B

Plan A / Plan B diagram made in Miro, Carlotta Premazzi, BioLab Lisbon, Fabricademy 2026

Prototypes

Prototypes represent the first step toward shaping the final installation.
They are not meant to be finished objects, but learning tools.

Early prototypes focus on: - testing responsiveness and delay - understanding the behaviour of pneumatic elements - exploring how sound reacts to biological input - observing unexpected behaviours and system instabilities

prototype Prototype & Experiments Slide from FPP by Carlotta Premazzi, BioLab Lisbon, Fabricademy 2026

Each prototype informs the next iteration, allowing the system to grow organically.
Failures, limitations and unexpected reactions are considered valuable outcomes and are documented as part of the process.

Mentoring notes

This section collects feedback, suggestions and references shared during mentoring sessions.

Notes may include: - conceptual feedback on the project direction - technical advice on sensing, electronics or pneumatics - references to artists, researchers or similar projects - tools, components or systems to explore further

Keeping these notes visible helps to track how external input influences the evolution of the project over time.

Half-fabrication files

Files will be added progressively as the system development advances.

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

  • [ ] Document the concept, sketches, references and the fundamental steps/processes involved
  • [ ] Create a process /work flow chart (a more detailed planning calendar, including machines and steps)
  • [ ] Create a quick prototype of the product, custom tool or electronics involved (physical, digital, collage or render)
  • [ ] Upload all necessary files