If plants had muscles.

If plants had muscles like humans, what would they wish?

Would they try to move and run?
Would they try to grab things?

And, would they try to approach us?

A wide variety of plants have different abilities to survive and different time scales than we creatures have. In this project we make plants move by equipping muscles they could never possess to know the ability of plants — familiar but totally different living things that have thrived in a different way than we creatures did — and bring up questions what we are trying to regain and acquire by creating new imaginations.

What would plants wish if they had muscle?

There are many cases of humans making it possible to improve productivity that was thought to be unattainable, regain the lost functions, etc. incorporating robotics technology.

Incorporating robotics technology, humans made it possible to improve productivity that used to be unattainable, regain the lost functions, etc. But sessile plants are accomplishing many actions though they can not move with agility nor transfer.

Even if plants had muscles, would they wish the same things that we humans are trying to make practical?

Starting from this simple question, I wish to bring up questions again about the ability people keep inventing and developing in this project.

References
Darwin, C.(1880). The Power of Movement in Plants 植物の運動力. (S. Watanabe 渡辺仁, Trans.). Tokyo: Morikita Publishing 森北出版
Mancuso, S., &Viola, A.(2015). Verde Brillante. Sensibilità e Intelligenza del Mondo Vegetale 植物は〈知性〉をもっている: 20の感覚で思考する生命システム. (K. Kubo 久保耕司, Trans.). Tokyo: NHK Publishing NHK出版
Chamovitz, D.(2017). What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses 植物はそこまで知っている: 感覚に満ちた世界に生きる植物たち. (M. Yano 矢野真千子, Trans.). Tokyo: Kawade Shobo Shinsha Publishers 河出書房新社Wohlleben, P.(2017).
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate―Discoveries from A Secret World 樹木たちの知られざる生活: 森林管理官が聴いた森の声. (M. Honda 本田雅也, Trans.). Tokyo: Hayakawa Publishing 早川書房

Artist：Dorita Takido Electronics Tutor：Tomofumi YOSHIDA （of Sheep inc.） Robotics technical support： Ryuma Niiyama Thanks to： Shiro Yamamoto Shiryu Kirié(Plant Scientist ) support: THE PROJECT TO SUPPORT EMERGING MEDIA ARTS CREATORS

Establishing SOFT ROBOTICS Collective: School of Life and Machinery

Until now, many different kinds of robots appeared in fictional works such as animations and comics. And robots in the real world are becoming familiar not only in industrial fields but also in our livelihood. In the field of Soft Robotics — the field that researches soft robots incorporating movement, structure, sense of living things — the development of innovative robotics possessing flexibility and organic structure is proceeding.

A place where people can think deeply about the future by knowing the latest technologies and create practical ideas and technologies under the theme of “Robotics and Life” — with this ideal image, I established “SOFT ROBOTICS Collective: School of Life and Machinery” that cultivate technical skill and imagination.