Ivan Henriques

Using optics techniques, a droplet of water becomes a lens magnifying microorganism presented inside this water droplet when beamed by a laser pointer. The water has plenty of microorganisms. In this work I create a microscope-live-cinema for the audience. This is part of a research about microorganisms presented in salt water as phytoplankton, copepods, diatoms, etc, which will be used to develop the Symbiotic Machine.

Using optics techniques, a droplet of water becomes a lens magnifying microorganism presented inside this water droplet when beamed by a laser pointer. The water has plenty of microorganisms. In this work I create a microscope-live-cinema for the audience. This is part of a research about microorganisms presented in salt water as phytoplankton, copepods, diatoms, etc, which will be used to develop the Symbiotic Machine.

Using optics techniques, a droplet of water becomes a lens magnifying microorganism presented inside this water droplet when beamed by a laser pointer. The water has plenty of microorganisms. In this work I create a microscope-live-cinema for the audience. This is part of a research about microorganisms presented in salt water as phytoplankton, copepods, diatoms, etc, which will be used to develop the Symbiotic Machine.

This prototype is the continuation of JAP and beginning of a further research about living organisms connected to machines. Some improvements have been done concerned to interactivity, as it was used another plant, with scientific name Homalomena. This plant has bigger leafs, which increased the interface size. And the improvements are also concerned to stability, redesigning the electronic board which will be able to provide enough flexibility for future developments. How can we create autopoietic (*) machines that maintain an organized autonomous robotic structure assembling living organisms and machines? Can we re-create a world which is more coherent with all the specimens? The final goal of this research is to assemble, even more, wet and dry machines to live together, creating a symbiotic relationship. The idea is to work in nano scale – this also happens with JAP and the PNBM as the data which is collected from the plant and processed via the electronic board, are from the flows of electrons. To further research into nano scale will be possible to extend and amplify energy from living organisms to develop an autonomous Symbiotic Machine. (*) Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela created the concept of Autopoiesis. Book: here

The project consists in a 8 meter diameter circular platform, covered with plants. A stair is on the north position and a water mirror functioning as an arrow, always pointing to the Sun. The platform has a revolving mechanism and it is programmed to follow the position of the Sun autonomously. The calculation of the rotation speed from the revolving platform will be according to the latitude, longitude and the azimuth, specifically from Verbeke Foundation in Kemzeke, Belgium. The visitors will experience a constant alignment with the Sun from the latitude 4°05′ / longitude: 51°23′.

The project consists in a 8 meter diameter circular platform, covered with plants. A stair is on the north position and a water mirror functioning as an arrow, always pointing to the Sun. The platform has a revolving mechanism and it is programmed to follow the position of the Sun autonomously. The calculation of the rotation speed from the revolving platform will be according to the latitude, longitude and the azimuth, specifically from Verbeke Foundation in Kemzeke, Belgium. The visitors will experience a constant alignment with the Sun from the latitude 4°05′ / longitude: 51°23′.

This is the maquette from the project Solar Flares. The maquette consists in a 30cm diameter circular platform. The stair are on the north east and west position and a water mirror functioning as an arrow, always pointing to the Sun. The platform has a revolving mechanism and it is programmed to follow the position of the Sun autonomously. The calculation of the rotation speed from the revolving platform will be according to the latitude, longitude and the azimuth, specifically from Verbeke Foundation in Kemzeke, Belgium. The visitors will experience a constant alignment with the Sun from the latitude 4°05′ / longitude: 51°23′.

Action Plant is a hybrid between a machine and a living organism, The plant used is the Sensitive Plant, Mimosa Pudica. The Mimosa is a very interesting one because the plant perceives the touch stimulus; once perceived, the excitement is signaled to the rest of the plant. The signal then turns on the motor cells to make the leaf actually move after it is being touched. Such an immediate response, i.e. a response on a human timescale, is rare among plants. Inspired by this phenomenon, I collaborated with professor Bert van Duijn from Leiden Biology University and the Hortus Botanicus from Leiden on a research into the Action Potential of this plant. At V2_ Summer Residency 2010, we settled a solution in which a signal amplifier reads the differences in the electromagnetic field around the plant to determine when it is being touched. These electromagnetic variations trigger movement of the robotic structure, on which the plant is situated, by means of a custom-made circuit board. The thresholds for response are set in such a way that only touching the plant makes it move away from the person touching it.