This Device Gives Your Plants a Lovely Singing Voice

For many people, plants are much more than inert decoration. They are biological life that can be soothing and caring for them can be tremendously rewarding. But unlike a cat or a dog, a plant can’t communicate with you — at least not directly. That’s why Manuel Domke created the Biodata MIDI Interface to give any plant a lovely singing voice.

Plants are, of course, incapable of actual vocalizations. But they do produce biological variations that can be converted into readable signals, which we can then interpret as musical notes. That is something that Sam Cusumano, the original developer, calls “biodata sonification” and this device makes it happen. For a simplified analogy, think about a person wearing a blood sugar monitor. Those readings will fluctuate from hour to hour and from day to day. If you were to assign notes to the blood sugar reading, you could turn that person’s simple existence into music. The Biodata MIDI Interface does something similar, just using biological signals associated with plants.

Specifically, the Biodata MIDI Interface measures galvanic conductance via electrodes attached to the plant (such as on leaves or the epidermis). That should work with just about any type of plant — though bark would surely prove to be troublesome. The device records signal fluctuation over a long period of time (usually days) and outputs MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) notes through a USB-C port or 3.5mm TRS jack. In real-time, those fluctuations probably wouldn’t produce enough note variation to be interesting.

But condensed down and set to time, the results are fascinating to hear as the plant grows, collects sunlight, and absorbs water. Cusumano’s website has some examples, if you want to get a feel for the sound.

The device consists of a custom PCB hosting a Microchip ATmega32u4 microcontroller. Domke programmed the firmware with the Arduino IDE, so users can easily modify the code if they like. The PCB fits into a small 3D-printed enclosure and it, along with the PCB and code, is open-source. Hacking and tinkering are encouraged.

If you’re interested in experimenting with your own plants, the Biodata MIDI Interface is coming to Crowd Supply soon. Be sure to sign up for updates so you know when the campaign goes live. If you’re too excited to wait, you can head over to the GitHub page to grab the files and make the device yourself.