A plant is positioned in front of a multitouchscreen. By operating the buttons with its leaves, the plant can control its own water and light supply, so it can survive independently and autonomously.

In the video above, the process of touching a button is speeded up by a human intervention for demonstration purposes





See VIDEO > ISEA2012 Machine Wilderness

"Touchscreens for plants and augmented life"

Saturday 11:05 - 11:30 NHCC, Albuquerque

Fascinated by the 1) digitization of nature, Veenhof graduated from the art academy with an 2) interactive greenhouse in which a real 2) graduation bouquet was growing based on web2.0 activity such as Tweets, blogs posts and Google searches. As a result of the unfortunate failure to represent online activity in plant growth, Veenhofs' reaction was: 3) "DIY, plant!", researching the evolutionary development of a multi-touch interface for plants, allowing them to survive autonomously by clicking the right interactive buttons with their leaves. In his talk, he will address how all this this has eventually led to the exploration of 4) 'real' life in augmented reality.

1) Worldwide Greenhouse
2) Publicity plant
3) DIY, plant at Verbeke Foundation, Belgium
4) Live Game of Life

Presentation follow-up:

The presentation will be concluded with a brief instruction on how to access augmented reality to view or create an artificial lifeforms on the spot, so the ISEA2012 grounds will be populated with virtual life, battling for its� existence in the parallel virtual space.

Bio Sander Veenhof:

Dutch new media artist Sander Veenhof studied computer science at the VU university in Amsterdam and graduated at the Dogtime Instable Media department of the Rietveld Art Academy . His projects range from technically driven concept art to geo-based participative storytelling experiences. His recent works foremostly exist in the augmented reality public space worldwide, where he explores the integration of virtual elements and physical components in search of new formats and creations that could not exist in either one of these realms alone.

SNDRV.NL






The multitouch-interface-for-plants installation has been developed during an artist-in-residence stay at the

Verbeke Foundation in Belgium



Working in the artist-in-residence area of the Verbeke Foundation greenhouse.


Plant multi-touchscreen interface V1.0 with 2 buttons: to activate light & water


Above: plant touchscreen / Below: touchscreen processing computer


Touchscreen processing software

Plant:	Mimosa Pudica
Touchscreen:	transparent screen, interface beamed from behind by picobeamer
Webcam:	detecting sharpness of IR LED shadows of leaves (so it functions day & night)
Interactions:	Interactively controlled waterpump & light
Hardware:	Phidgets electronics
Software:	Community Core Vision by NUI Group
Advice:	Bram Geers (biologist) - advise on plant dynamics, light specifics Luciano Pinna (former fysicus) - assistence with voltage, wiring, LEDS

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