Designing with Bioluminescence

Three environments that facilitate physical kinetic interactions with Dinoflagellates (bioluminescent algae). Examples of the environments are (a) a bottle containing Dinoflagellates, (b) a foam surface soaking Dinoflagellates, and (c) Dinoflagellates in a wide bowl.

Designing with Bioluminescence Intro

This project explores the opportunity of designing direct interactions with Dinoflagellates, bioluminescent algae that produce light when exposed to oxygen through physical stimulation. We leverage the Dinoflagellates’ natural feedback mechanism to propose physical kinetic interactions, actively engaging the human user with the organism. We take an organism-centered design approach, considering the well-being of the organism by focusing first on designing appropriate environments for the organism, then proceeding to exploring the available interactions within these environments.

Living Matter Lab

 

Associated Researchers

Publications

Fiona Bell, Netta Ofer, Hyelin Choi, Ella McQuaid, Ethan Frier, and Mirela Alistar. 2022. "Biomaterial Playground: Engaging with Bio-based Materiality". In Extended Abstracts of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’22). (New Orleans, LA, April 29-May 5, 2022).

Netta Ofer, Fiona Bell and Mirela Alistar. 2021. "Designing Direct Interactions with Bioluminescent Algae". In: Designing Interactive Systems Conference 2021 (DIS ’21). (Virtual event, June 28-July 2, 2021).