Scientists at Disney Research have developed a plant based touch interface in a slightly strange yet fascinating project titled Botanicus Interacticus. The project demonstrates how users can control audio and video signals by touching foliage in different ways. A single electrode placed in the plant's soil turns it into an expressive, multitouch, gesture sensitive controller.
Botanicus Interacticus applies Swept Frequency Capacitive Sensing (SFCS)
technology to greenery. It detects multiple frequencies of
electrical signals, rather than the single frequency detected by
standard capacitive touch sensing technology.
When coupled with
machine learning algorithms different gestures and touches can be
detected reliably and with high precision.
Disney staged
an "augmented garden" in Los Angeles at the interactive
technology exhibition, Sigraph 2012. Visitors are encouraged to
touch a number of plants to create differing visual and audio effect.