Integrating Living Organisms in Devices to Implement Care-based Interactions

Title of the Paper

Integrating Living Organisms in Devices to Implement Care-based Interactions

Paper Information

• Subject Area: Human-Computer Interaction Design, Care-based Device Design, Application of Living Materials
• Keywords: Living organisms, care-based interaction design, slime mold, interactive relationships, interface technology, electronic device lifecycle, user-device relationship, mutualistic symbiosis, sustainable design, slow technology

Research Background and Issues

• Problems and Challenges:

  • Most electronic device designs prioritize efficiency and invisibility, leading users to perceive devices as lifeless objects, lacking emotional connection and ignoring environmental impacts after device disposal.
  • Virtual devices (e.g., electronic pets) can partially evoke user care but lack real-life interaction, which may result in user detachment.

• Significance:

  • The issue of electronic waste is severe, with millions of tons of electronic waste discarded annually.
  • Care-based interactive devices could foster emotional connections between users and devices, extending device lifecycles and reducing environmental burdens.

• Research Motivation and Related Work:

  • Previous studies have attempted to reconstruct user-device relationships through slow technology and friction-based interface design, but these methods predominantly rely on virtual approaches or non-living materials.
  • This study explores embedding living organisms (slime mold) into device functionality to investigate how such life-integrated designs alter user-device relationships.

Solution

• Proposed Solution:

  • Integrate a type of slime mold (Physarum Polycephalum) into a smartwatch, making it a core functional component: the slime mold must grow into a conductive circuit switch under user care to activate the heart rate sensor.

• Innovations:

  • First exploration of embedding living organisms into practical wearable devices through technology and design methods.
  • Establishing a novel care-based interaction model, fostering a bidirectional emotional connection between users and devices through support for the biological environment.
  • Designing periodic interaction experiences based on the slime mold’s life characteristics (e.g., dormancy and revival).

• Implementation Steps:

  • Slime Mold Watch Prototype Design:
    • Equipped with a transparent container for storing slime mold, allowing users to feed it water and oats.
    • Circuit design enables the slime mold’s growth to control the heart rate sensor’s functionality.
  • Technical Implementation:
    • Slime mold acts as a conductive wire, with electrical resistance changes monitored to assess conductivity.
    • Electronic components include an OLED display, microcontroller, and heart rate sensor.
  • User Experiment:
    • Participants wore the watch for 9-14 days, documenting their experiences interacting with the device and slime mold during care and neglect phases.

Research Results

• Specific Findings:

  • Users developed a strong sense of responsibility, describing the care process as a “lesson in responsibility.”
  • The slime mold’s growth elicited emotional responses from participants, such as joy, guilt, and a sense of duty.
  • Users formed a “symbiotic” relationship with the device: providing care for the slime mold while receiving functional benefits from the device.

• Comparison with Existing Solutions:

  • The inclusion of living organisms in devices creates a more tangible and emotional relationship between users and devices.
  • Compared to traditional devices, slime mold devices enhance emotional engagement; compared to virtual devices (e.g., electronic pets), the life characteristics of slime mold provide a more authentic interactive experience.

• Experiment or Evaluation Results:

  • Emotional responses to the device:
    • The slime mold’s color, smell, and other characteristics stimulated participants’ sensory and emotional reactions.
    • The care phase elicited higher levels of device usage engagement compared to the neglect phase.
  • Slime mold growth and intervention:
    • On average, it took approximately 12.67 hours to complete the conductive wire formation.
    • After neglect, the slime mold entered dormancy, which could be revived by replenishing water and food.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Limitations:
    • Novelty effects may positively influence user experience.
    • Environmental factors (e.g., light and temperature) may cause variability in slime mold growth.
    • User experience was primarily based on short-term observation; long-term care responses require further study.
  • Future Research Directions:
    • Explore the potential of embedding organisms other than slime mold into devices.
    • Investigate differences in care-based interactions across genders and cultural backgrounds.
    • Develop more diverse care-based device prototypes, such as household appliances or educational devices.

Conclusion and Design Recommendations

• Conclusion:

  • Embedding living organisms into the core functionality of electronic devices can evoke user responsibility and emotional responses, transforming human-device relationships.
  • Such designs have profound implications for sustainable consumption, electronic device proliferation, and technological ethics.

• Design Recommendations:

  • Emphasize the display of biological characteristics and states, enabling users to fully perceive the device’s living qualities.
  • Focus on fostering mutualistic symbiosis between the organism and the user in the design.
  • Leverage biological unpredictability to introduce more possibilities for device interaction, rather than adhering to traditional efficient and predictable design frameworks.
  • Optimize device visualization and openness to encourage broader user participation in care-based interactions.
  • Incorporate environmental and ecological protection concepts into the design to ensure device and material sustainability.