PlantAR

2024, Mixed Reality Installation

An exploration of the links between self-care and plant-care in a novel setting.

The technology that is often linked to keeping children away from nature, can be reimagined to make them reconnect with it.

Recognition → Winner, MIT Reality Hackathon 2024 (Hardware Track)

Role → Creative Direction and Serial Communication

Press → Better Worlds

Collaborators → Helena Su, Skylar Wang, Daniel Rojas Roa, Akeemi Martinez

Playtesting PlantAR with its audience at the MIT Public Expo

[what] How might we help kids understand caregiving and empathy while forging a connection with nature?

[how] Inspired by the endless curiosity of a child, we built them not one but two realities that mimic caregiving for house plants.

[who] This interaction is meant for school kids over the age of 12, their classmates, and family members.

[why] Expressing compassion for other living beings positively impacts personal wellbeing.

The setup: a handcrafted base model overlaid with augmented reality visuals as viewed through the MetaQuest 3 goggles

A base model served as the anchor between the physical and virtual worlds as you move through 3 main actions.

Step 1: Compliment your plant to give it sunlight

Step 2: Water your plant to make its leaves grow

Step 3: Give it a hug to make its flower bloom

Ideation

I mapped out 3 core considerations for the product before leading into production—Function, Form, Possibility.

Function

Form

Possibility

User Flow 001

The initial storyboard focused on the narrative for 1 of 3 main interactions—watering the plant.

Set up the plant with sensors

Instructions displayed to wearer

Follow instructions to water it

Positive Reinforcement

Classmates join the experience

Prototyping

A look-and-feel prototype revealed the scale at which the base model would be most effective. While the 3D-printed vase made it to the final prototype, the flower went through a few iterations to integrate sensors and actuators seamlessly.

Configuring Unity-Occulus serial communication

3D-printing vase for the plant base model

Origami flower for look-and-feel prototype

Material Explorations

Initial 3D-printed ABS and PLA plastics were either too thick or lacked flexibility to be affected by the pulling force of the servo motors acting from below the base. Increasing the tension on the strings connecting new, individually-cut suede petals worked because of the taller column.

Bloom perpendicular to the ground

Moved to parallel to the ground to work with gravity

Taller stem and suede material for streamlined pull effect

Challenges with speech, sound, accessibility.

In the first test phases, varied accents created a barrier for the mood and tone-detection API that affected whether the light turns on or off.

Servo-controlled flower petals ready to bloom

“HELLO Flower” = “HALO Flower”

Activating sunlight and bloom on command

Playtesting Insights and Refinements

As the hypothesis suggested, it was evident that kids were very curious about the hybrid setup.

The act of complimenting the plant to give it sunlight was a delightful interaction. To complete that narrative arc, an interaction was added emphasizing the downsides of being negative.

Complimenting your house plant gives it sunlight.

Kids were able to follow through instructions for the remaining actions with little to no assistance.

Demeaning it will take away its source of light highlighting the importance of positive affirmations in nurturing.

As were the adults.

Updated User Flow

I created an instruction set for the product to be used autonomously within its intended classroom setting. This allows the PlantAR toolkit to exist independent of its creators.