Disney Turns Plants Into Multi-Touch Sensors

SchrodingerZ writes "Designers of Disney Research in Pittsburgh Pa, have turned the average household plant into a musical device and remote control. Called the Botanicus Interacticus project, this new program can turn any household plant into touch-sensitive computer system. 'The system is built upon capacitive touch sensing — the principle used on touchscreens in smartphones and tablets — but instead of sensing electrical signals at a single frequency, it monitors capacitive signals across a broad range of frequencies. It's called Swept Frequency Capacitive Sensing.' This works by putting a pulsating electrode into the soil around a plant, which excites the plant, making any touch to the parts of the plant a replayable signal. This could mean soon swatting at your household plant could change the television channel or turn up the volume (PDF)."

Comments

Botanical abuse

[Anonymous Coward]

While an interesting development, I don't believe the average plant would thrive with the abuse of a std remote control usage.

My stomata are turgid.

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

> "This works by putting a pulsating electrode into the soil
> around a plant, which excites the plant, making any touch
> to the parts of the plant a repayable signal."

Finally, nerds whose inability to get the girl has led to a useful perversion.