Contraptions that allow humans to interact with plants or their environment are steadily gaining popularity. Plants like “touch me not” that react on human touch have always fascinated people. Well, a new creation called “jurema action plant” actually uses this ability of the plant to create a new gadget. Created by Ivan Henriques, a multimedia artist from Brazil, the product gives the plant a chance to run away from its threat rather than respond to it by closing up.
The Shepherds of Stuff, a student and graduate show held by the royal academy of art The Hague showcased this piece at the Milan Design Week 2012. The stupendous break through actually gives the plant a chance to escape threat, just like human beings. The gadget applies the concept that plants are capable of deciphering electrical signals and can also respond to them.
Although plants don’t have nerves like animals to identify the sense of touch, when electric signals are transferred to their cells, they do react to the stimuli. Henriques applied this ability of plants to read electromagnetic fields and developed the “hacked wheelchair concept,” which is actually an interactive bio machine. The contraption is portable and also contains a watering system for the plant.
The Mimosa Pudica is a really sensitive plant and the specie reacts whenever it perceives a threat in its surroundings and responds by closing up its leaves. Even if you touch it slightly with a finger, the plant interprets the action as a possible danger and reacts by closing up. This protective reaction of the plant is detected by a signal amplifier, which sends out a communication to move away from the location of the stimulus.
Via: Design Boom