--- title: "Project Lets Houseplant Control Robot Arm Equipped With Machete" description: "Plant Meets Weapon What if you gave a plant control of a robotic arm...and then gave that robotic arm a machete? That appears to be the reasoning behind a project from robotics artist David Bowen, the creator of the \"Plant Machete\" installation that does exactly that. \"Essentially,\" Bowen's website reads, \"the plant is the brain […]" date: "2022-10-03" modified: "2022-10-03" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/houseplant-robot-arm-machete" categories: - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "cyborg" - "cyborgs" - "robots" - "the digest" --- # Project Lets Houseplant Control Robot Arm Equipped With Machete ![What if you gave a plant control of a robotic arm and then gave that robotic arm a machete? That seems to be the idea behind the "Plant Machete" project.]() *\Image: David Bowen\* ## Plants vs. OSHA What if you gave a plant control of a robotic arm... and then gave that robotic arm a machete? That's the pressing question explored by [robotics artist David Bowen](), the creator of an installation called "Plant Machete," which does exactly that. "Essentially," [Bowen's website reads](), "the plant is the brain of the robot controlling the machete determining how it swings, jabs, slices and interacts in space." The live philodendron used in the installation directs the arm via open-source microcontroller, which receives input from the plant's electric signals. "Using custom software, these signals are mapped in real-time to the movements of the joints of the industrial robot holding a machete," the artist's site continues. "In this way, the movements of the machete are determined based on input from the plant." ## Natural Selection As the artist-provided video of the plant-controlled robotic arm shows, the sensors used in this symbiotic hookup look much like the circular EEG applicators put on hospital patients to read their vital signs — which, given how the plant's machete-controlling mechanism is described, seems to be a pretty apt comparison. Needless to say, there's no evidence that the philodendron is directing its swordplay in any meaningful way. In reality, signals from the plant are probably acting more as a random number generator to steer the robotic arm. While this is certainly a novel approach, it's far from the first time we've seen "cyborg botany" in action. In 2018, a [Chinese roboticist built a spider-esque machine]() that could move a plant around to find the best sun, and later that year, researchers at MIT [built a cyborg houseplant]() that could cart itself around on two wheels using similar tech. The concept of arming plants via robots, however, is decidedly fresh — and given how much we're hurting the planet in our endless pursuit of advancement, it's certainly a fun twist. **More cyborgism:** *[Inventor of Cyber Cockroach Says it Will Only Be Used for Good]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()