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S O N I C
B L O O M
SOUND
Listening to
plants
2020, UI/UX Studio
Innovation Award, Pratt Research Open House 2021
Food empathy
Plant bioacoustics
Nature Interaction
Acoustics of emotions
System design
UX/UI
Product design
Sensorial design
Technology and data mapping
01
We all had to slow the pace of our lives during the pandemic. It was a time where we all questioned our relationship with the surrounding environment and revisited lost habits.
This project is inspired by my failure to maintain a thriving herb garden in my apartment. It is an exploration of people’s relationship with the living things in their homes, especially the conflicts of caring for them in an expanding, dynamic, ‘metro-natural’ environment.
Sonic bloom is a product-service that helps people take care of the plants in their home and encourages learning in how to grow their own.
Lets look at the problem
A dysfunctional relationship with nature
02
Introducing...
What if plants could talk to us?
03
Whether it be food, herbs, or ornamentals, the Sonic Bloom system allows people to keep their plants alive by creating a direct connection between the plant's needs and the tools we already use every day, enabling us to prioritize and plan our busy lives.
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Soundscape
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Product
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Digital application
The
system
Soundscape
W O R K I N G P R O T O T Y P E
W O R K I N G P R O T O T Y P E
The soundscape helps plant owners understand the status of the plant’s health by creating an efficient monitoring system. The soundscape, by using the internet of things, behaves as an interface stimulating a deep connection between the plants and their owners. The soil moisture value and light condition are captured by sensors and converted into soundscape using a programmed circuit. This information can also be accessed on the go via a digital application.
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These sound samples are created based on the research of the effect of familiar sounds on the human brain. Musicians over time have explored the concept of the Acoustics of Emotions to create impactful music.
Digging deeper
Plants produce the vibrations caused by air bubbles forming and imploding – a process known as cavitation – inside xylem tubes, which are used for water transport.
Though often too low or too high for human ears to detect, insects and animals signal each other with vibrations. Even trees and plants fizz with the sound of tiny air bubbles bursting in their plumbing.
Sound artists and scientists are harnessing these electrical impulses for purposes like meditation and agricultural innovations.
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A familiar product like the dish of the plant pot houses the sound program. This aural feature gives the plants a human-like quality and improves the interaction and understanding of the natural environment. Additional user-experience features like vibration mode and visual LED light changing mechanism enhances the product experience.
The
Product
T E C H N O L O G Y M A P - W O R K I N G P R O T O T Y P E
Digital presence
The app further helps the users take care of their plants by sending sonic notifications. It also allows for the customization of these sounds and provides in-depth plant information. The users can create a plant playlist and control the settings in terms of sensitivity, frequency, and range.
It also creates a database for plant owners. The users can share images and daily updates of their plant's health to obtain rewards. The users can synchronize their activities like eating healthy to these sounds and track their progress as well.
This connection between Sonic Bloom users will foster a community of support to help answer any mysterious questions that come up in growing different plants. Why are my leaves dry? What are these black spots? This simple interaction between people using Sonic Bloom provides the basis for peer-to-peer learning and expands greatly the possibilities of the service to inspire and teach.
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The emphasis is to help people learn the causes and effects of their lifestyles on that of their plants and aims to help them answer questions like: When did I last water? Did I water enough? Is it over-watered or under-watered? Is the light in this spot in my house good for growing, for example, Basil? Is the light better for Thyme?
O F F
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The LED ring light is off
N E E D S W A T E R
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Audio
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The LED ring light turns blue
O N
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Haptic Feedback (Vibrates)
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The LED ring light turns green
N E E D S W A T E R
W A R N I N G
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Audio
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The LED ring light turns deep blue
W A T E R I N G
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Haptic Feedback (Vibrates) to indicate overwatering
H E A L T H Y
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Audio
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The LED ring light turns green
User experience moments
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