Overview
The Luminous Science project started through an exploration by Lila Finch into how we could represent the biochemical processes of a plant using a new representational structure of a Nebuta-style lantern. Specifically we grew plants using hydroponic gardening techniques, collected and analyzed data using sensors, video, images, and hands-on measurements, and then translated that data into an artistic representation that told us about the biology, chemistry, and health of the garden.

The Garden
In the first prototype of the project we built a large wooden support structure to hold three levels of hydroponic gardens. We used an ebb-and-flow system on all three levels. We have grown an assortment of different plants: basil, coleus, lavender, marigolds, tomatoes, lettuce, and thyme. The plants grew so well that the coleus, and later the tomatoes, had to be removed and replanted elsewhere. We had a very fruitful crop of basil that continually was harvested and grew for over eight months.

We used a combination of BlockyTalky and weather:bit sensors to collect data and transmit that data wirelessly to a variety of data physicalizations (see below). We used a micro:bit in the garden connected to our sensor units to transmit data, via the micro:bit radio, from the garden to another micro:bit where that information could be used as desired. We are constantly adding new sensors and data storage capabilities to BlockyTalky and new sensor drivers for the micro:bit in the hopes to soon be able to examine more scientific details of the garden.

The Lanterns
We are currently experimenting with how to creatively represent real-time and historical data about our garden through computationally infused lanterns. Our lanterns are inspired by the Japanese Aomori Nebuta Festival, an annual festival held in Aomori, Japan, where large lantern floats are created for months prior to the festival and then paraded around the city. This type of lantern is created using a wire structure covered in paper and painted with both wax and dye. The lights inside the lantern, LEDs in our case, dynamically change based information collected from our hydroponic garden.

The first lantern built by Lila Finch was a 9-foot tall lantern tree shaped lantern (documented in these images). This lantern was followed by a set of smaller, plant inspired, lanterns (also documented here).

Prototype Specifics
The first of its type, the "Garden Spirit" originally communicated with the above hydroponic garden to show live sensor-data. With the garden in hibernation, the lantern now shows a single day of historical garden data in a one minute loop. As you watch the video look at how throughout the "day" the rates of photosynthesis and transpiration change, these are dependent upon the data collected which include light, temperature, humidity, and soil moisture. Photosynthesis in this lantern is represented by "activation" (yellow) occurring on the "cells" of the branches (nubs), then glucose (orange) is made, converted to sucrose (red), which can then be transported into the tree to provide it with the necessary energy to survive. Transpiration is represented as "water molecules" (teal) that are pulled up through the tree from the roots to the branches.  

Getting Started

Back to Luminous Science Overview

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This project is supported by a gift from Oracle Corporation.