See The Robot Houseplant That Was Just Armed With A Massive Machete
An artist has created a houseplant machete hybrid which wields a large knife based on impulses from the philodendron. Color us really impressed.
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plant machete from david bowen on Vimeo.
There have been many scientific studies about how plants can clean our air, how they relax us, and how they are overall great at looking beautiful and decorating our homes. Well, now, plants can swing machetes based on their impulses. Still want them in your home? Of course, you do! Hello, houseplant machete!
According to Futurism, artist David Bowen–who works mostly with robotics–the plant (a philodendron) is controlling the houseplant machete determining how it swings, jabs, or slices the giant knife through space.
Even though it may appear that plants are becoming sentient based on what scientists just did, they are still just plants. However, what scientists, along with the help of an artist are demonstrating, is the power the plants have inside them, just like humans.
An open-source microcontroller–a compact integrated circuit–receives electrical impulses from the houseplant. The electrical impulses come from EEG applicators (much like the ones that are used on humans to check on heart rate and other vital signs) which are applied to the plant’s leaves. And voila, houseplant machete is in the, well, house!
Although there is no evidence that the plant, maybe his name is Phil, knows which way he wants to swing the machete or even knows he is controlling it, Phil certainly looks like he knows what he’s doing and could probably stop an intruder. Houseplant machete to the rescue.
Phil is by no means the first cyborg plant that was created. However, he is the first houseplant machete type as one of the firsts would spider crawl to the sun, and another would just move itself around his house in a cart.
It’s no secret the use of robots and artificial intelligence is on the rise. Alexa, and her friend, Siri, are both examples of AI. And they are tagging along and living in our homes all across the world. In fact, robots are even taking on some of our most-hated jobs so we don’t have to do them. Many have already been doing this in the car manufacturing industry.
These types of jobs are menial, laborious, and time-consuming. Robots don’t care. The houseplant machete now needs a job. Swashbuckling pirate perhaps? But, there are studies that show that while plants don’t have emotions, they can sense gravity or even when danger is near.
Some robots have found jobs in restaurants serving, cooking, and flipping burgers. These robots carried some weight as workers in restaurants were few and far between during the COVID-19 pandemic. They don’t work for tips, but they do cost millions of dollars. Totally worth it. Houseplant machete wants tips though. Maybe just some extra watering here and there.
In all seriousness, artist David Bowen is not new to robotics and unconventional materials. In fact, one installation had 100 live houseflies control a router to carve a piece of foam. Now, if only houseplant machete could be used to arm other plants so they can protect themselves from insects doing them harm. Such is the case with the villainous insect destroying vineyards.
Self-protecting plants. We could drink to that!
