Sonifying Aquatic Plant Photosynthesis: A Music Generation System for Everyday Engagement and Care

This research explores more-than-human HCI by designing a music generation system for everyday human-plant engagement. The system leverages the unique photosynthetic activity of coontail, a resilient aquatic plant that produces small, subtle bubbles. These bubbles’ raw sounds, captured via hydrophone, are converted into ambient music that dynamically responds to the diurnal cycle and health condition of the plant. Through this enriching sonic experience, users are encouraged to observe the plant's activity, care for the plant more proactively and reflect on their coexistence with the environment. This research also aims to conduct a long-term user study to investigate how this system can influence human-plant engagement and relationships, providing provocative insights into more-than-human design in everyday contexts.