A society made up of robots and plants functioning as a self-organized, distributed cognitive system could soon design gardens and build some of the most innovative architectural structures ever. | |||||||||||||||
This is not the plot of a sci-fi film. A new artificial hybrid life form has been created to meet the demand for more sustainable and greener urban areas – a robot-vegetal society where robots and plants can grow together in a co-dependent and self-organised system. The robo-vegetal symbiosis could form novel architectural structures and open areas offering shade and stress relief, as well as managing air quality. | |||||||||||||||
This is the aim of the Flora Robotica project funded by the EU Future and Emerging Technologies (FET). But how can researchers implement such a complex and futuristic technology? How can self-organized life form without any top-down control? | |||||||||||||||
Arabidopsis/Braid after two weeks growth. (Image: Flora Robotica) | |||||||||||||||
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