Robotic Platform Enables Indoor Plants to Search for Light

Posted on February 17, 2015

Researchers from Purdue University have developed a robotic platform that enables indoor plants to search for light. The mobile micro-gardens have been dubbed soybots.

The soybots were developed by Shannon McMullen, an assistant professor of electronic and time-based art and Fabian Winkler, an associate professor of electronic and time-based art. The soybean plants can motor around to find LED grow lights or sunlight. The plant robots use sensors to track and follow sunlight intensity or to locate the LED grow lights. They can also be guided by flashlight beams pointed at their sensors.

MucMullen says in a statement, "Soybots: Mobile Micro-Gardens is a responsive robotic-botanic hybrid artwork that utilizes light sensors to track sunlight intensity or to locate LED grow lights. We chose soybean plants because they are a key global food source, and part of producing art is to raise questions about the future of robotics in agriculture and how humans exist in this relationship."

When the soybots are part of an exhibit they transmit sensor data and their coordinates. This data is displayed on a visualization window at the gallery space. The soybots will next go on display at an exhibit at Arizona State University.

Here is a video of the soybots in action. Take a look:

PLANTS