This interactive garden is basically creating functions through a technological device and to interact with the user. The functions were features in the garden will let the user experience through movement, vision, touch, and hearing. The concept behind it is to let the user experience garden in a new creative way

 

First is an interactive plant, the plants have functionalized with coding and when you touch the different part of the plant. To create the interactive function for the plant, it requires physical installation and coding. Through the example from the online, knowing that using the software Processing are the most simple and ideal to approach this concept. The first function is that when the user touches the plant, there are three parts for each plant with eight plants will be inserted with music, to show the diversity for each soundtrack, we found twenty-four different styles of soundtracks to put in it the function, we simply found a random soundtrack from online and narrow down to five to eight second, to let the user can play around with the it. Then we put the soundtrack through processing, and connect with the physical sensor, and insert to the plant to display the function. Further on, the second function is similar to the first function, when you touch the plant, it will display the name of the plant on the LED panel. Through this function, it allows the user to get to know the plants they are interacting with immediately. It is a function that had potential to expand in the future if this function improves to able to apply on any plants in the world, it allows anyone can get to know about the plants they interactive directly. Further is the water system function, the water system allows the user just to click a button, then the device will water the plants, this simple version of the water system is showing the idea of the convenient to water the plant. This water system has multiple improve that can be applied in the future, which is adding the automatic timer and automatic amount of water, so the water system can automatically manage the garden. Finally, the last function that is a moving floor, the original idea of it is based on a real garden with grass on the floor, when the audience walks into the garden, it will open the pathway for them, so they do not need to step on the grass. This function also was designed for disabled people, when the path is open, it created a path to direct them.

 

The main role that I participate was creating a video for this project to present this idea. Although we had made a physical garden but using a video can make the user have a stronger understand for the whole meaning behind. The video will be containing description and instruction to guide the user to interact with the garden and know how the function works.

 

In conclusion, the function of the interactive garden is wanting to bring an innovation of the ideas of the garden, the function in this garden is simple, but the idea behind it allows the user to expand the idea of designing a garden through the technology that they experienced from this garden.