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Robo-Plants Respond to Human Touch

Nov 1, 2010 07:15 PM

Artistic sunflower sculpture with illuminated petals. Japanese artist and visual designer Akira Nakayasu creates robotic plants that not only respond to human touch, but anticipate human touch.

The first video in the gallery below, entitled "Plant", was inspired by grass blowing in the wind. The robotic plant has 169 artificial leaves, each controlled by shape memory alloy actuators. This means each individual leaf responds to movement (such as an approaching hand).

The second video in the gallery below, entitled "Himawari" (shown to the right) works as followed:

"The stalk is driven by servo motors, the inside flower is made of LEDs and the flower tentacles and petals use shape-memory alloy actuators to wriggle quietly. Himawari moves slowly and with slender motions, reacting to human presence, to face them and communicate."

Mechanical sunflower sculpture with metallic and floral elements.

A cluttered workstation with multiple computer monitors, electronic components, and a robotic flower.

Hand resting on a spherical mound covered in green leaves.

A hand gently hovering over a textured green and black surface resembling plants.

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