PROJECT
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Plant Sounds
The plant kingdom is, at
first glance, one of silence, where these stationary beings seem static and
uneventful. Internally, however, plants are rampant with activity. Their
molecular factories turning water, light, CO2, minerals, and so on,
into the air we breathe, the nourishment we eat, the medicines we need, and the
energy we burn and thrive off of. Our dependency upon these microscopic
factories is clear. But rarely do we contemplate a plant's capability to sense
and react, and even less so do we consider them capable of
generating electrical signals.
Plant Sounds is a
navigation and investigation of the interior dialogue of a plant. By translating
the electrical micro-voltage fluctuations generated by flora, the signals can
be used in the production of a soundscape. This soundscape is the direct
outcome of the plant’s functioning, unique to it’s circumstance and external
stimulus, as interpreted by a custom-made electronic instrument.
The viewer should be able to directly interact with the plant through physical touch and vicariously affect the produced
soundscape. These fluctuations are processed and sonified through a computer-based program to create complex and unusual sonorities.
In effect, the viewer is confronted with the awareness of a plant by the
conjured auditory responses. The plant would no longer seem docile and silent
to our presence, allowing us a glimpse into it’s inner-workings.
The largest undertaking of this project is interfacing with the plant. Marc-Alexandre Chan, a masters student of electrical engineering at Concordia, has been pivotal in developing a prototype device capable of measuring and capturing these miniscule signals. Without him and the resources of the IEEE on campus, the project would be nearly impossible to realize.
It's been quite a few weeks of working together to reach the current stage of the prototype. Along the way I've been noticing that engineers like Marc are artists in their own right. Designing the prototype requires a creativity and logic that is truly commendable, and turns concepts and ideas into something tangible.
The device, as it stands, is a highly sensitive, extremely low-noise amplifier. The initial theory is to connect to the plant using two copper electrodes with a conductive gel; one electrode connected to a leaf, the other connected to the soil and roots. This signal is then amplified and the resulting information is sent to an audio card to be converted from analog signal to digital. Once converted, I can begin messing with the signal to create some kind of sweet, sweet soundscape.
Because the electric signal of a plant is almost non-existent, potential noise interference is the largest contender to deal with. With our current tests, the performance of Prototype Mk. I has been more than adequate for the intended audio result. However, the plant itself has yet to be tested with the current prototype. Once the plant is all hooked up, it will be a real treat to see what kind of frequencies/sounds it generates! Might lead to a strange world of plant-preferred musical scales or compositional styles or some static, unchanging sonic realm... well... who knows?
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| Plant Sensor Prototype Mk. I |
It's been quite a few weeks of working together to reach the current stage of the prototype. Along the way I've been noticing that engineers like Marc are artists in their own right. Designing the prototype requires a creativity and logic that is truly commendable, and turns concepts and ideas into something tangible.
 |
| Marc running tests like a boss |
The device, as it stands, is a highly sensitive, extremely low-noise amplifier. The initial theory is to connect to the plant using two copper electrodes with a conductive gel; one electrode connected to a leaf, the other connected to the soil and roots. This signal is then amplified and the resulting information is sent to an audio card to be converted from analog signal to digital. Once converted, I can begin messing with the signal to create some kind of sweet, sweet soundscape.
Because the electric signal of a plant is almost non-existent, potential noise interference is the largest contender to deal with. With our current tests, the performance of Prototype Mk. I has been more than adequate for the intended audio result. However, the plant itself has yet to be tested with the current prototype. Once the plant is all hooked up, it will be a real treat to see what kind of frequencies/sounds it generates! Might lead to a strange world of plant-preferred musical scales or compositional styles or some static, unchanging sonic realm... well... who knows?
The week to
come will be busy with tests and trouble-shooting. Schematics will be
made available once there is a certainty that the prototype is capable
of capturing the plant signal. Check out the video to gain a little
insight into the bizarre and not-so-different-than-us
world of plants.
Lots of Love,
Thomas
— for more of my work, check these —
soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thomchristie
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