The Plant Machete system consists of a potted plant from the Araceae family and a robotic arm wielding a knife, capable of stabbing, slicing, and swinging in response to signals from the plant.
Operation of the Plant Machete system. (Video: David Bowen)
Designer David Bowen, a master’s degree holder from the University of Minnesota, USA, created the Plant Machete system, which includes a potted plant and a robotic arm holding a large knife, as reported by Independent on October 3. The system operates by reading electrical signals emitted from a type of potted plant in the Araceae family, using sensors attached to the leaves. These signals are then converted into real-time actions for the robotic arm, enabling it to stab, slice, and swing.
Bowen developed the Plant Machete to demonstrate that plants can function as a brain for robots, allowing them to interact with the world in ways that were deemed impossible with technology just a few years ago. “The system uses a small open-source controller connected to the potted plant to read different signals from the leaves,” Bowen explained.
“Using custom software, these signals are mapped in real-time according to the movements of the joints of the robotic arm wielding the knife. In this way, the movement of the knife is determined based on signals from the plant,” he added.
The Plant Machete system contributes further to the field of automated robotics. This is a growing area that often focuses on signals and gestures from humans and animals.
A few months ago, a partially paralyzed man was able to feed himself for the first time in 30 years without assistance, thanks to a robotic arm connected to a brain-computer interface. The patient could control the robotic arms holding a knife and fork with his thoughts to cut food and bring it to his mouth.
This system was developed by a research team at the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in the USA. They are continuing to develop a more advanced version that could help disabled individuals translate sensations intended for phantom limbs (missing body parts like arms or legs) into actual movements of prosthetic devices.
