FUCK OFF
Concept
Extended intelligence in connection to humans is a popular discussion. Giving another organism the power to communicate and extend it self’s intelligence is rather 'underground'. After all physical harm humans have done to plants, if they could talk, plants would probably tell humans to “Fuck off”.
In this interactive installation I am giving a plant the power to communicate with humans. For this the natural impulses that go through a plant are being captured. Therefore, making the plant the sensor and appropriating its natural sensory. The closer (physical) a human comes to a plant it is going to react. These impulses that it is giving to itself will be different, and these will determine different sentences and insults in English and German.
Technical
To collect the electric signals the shown circut (Guided by Martin Howse) in connection to an Ardunio is used.
- Arduino Code by Martin Howse
const int ledPin = 9; // the pin that the LED is attached to
// the setup routine runs once when you press reset:
void setup() {
// initialize serial communication at 9600 bits per second:
Serial.begin(9600);
// initialize the ledPin as an output:
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
}
// the loop routine runs over and over again forever:
void loop() {
byte brightness;
// check if data has been sent from the computer:
if (Serial.available()) {
// read the most recent byte (which will be from 0 to 255):
brightness = Serial.read();
// set the brightness of the LED:
analogWrite(ledPin, brightness);
}
// read the input on analog pin 0: int sensorValue = analogRead(A0); // print out the value you read: Serial.println(sensorValue); delay(1000); // delay in between reads for stability }
- Circut Board and Plant
- Values
Terms
The insults are collected in advance. For this, people are asked which insult they use frequently, find "most efficient", funny or perhaps even endearing. Via Instagram, a pin board, family gatherings.... different generations and social niches will come together.
Behaviour of the interactive Person
References & Thoughts
- I am in power over what the plant will be saying and interpreting the behavior, but I do not know . Maybe this plant is masochistic, and loves being treated bad. I am giving it a linguistic pattern that is determined and limited (Noam Chomsky). Therefore, I am controlling the plants will, which is the opposite of giving the plant the power.
- By generating the terms, the plant will probably turn out sexist. I doubt that people will give me gender neutral insults.
Problems
If capturing the impulses won’t be possible one ore more distance sensor will be used.