Plant-Inspired Robot Design Metaphors for Ambient HRI

2026-01-29

AI Summary

This study addresses the predominance of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic paradigms in human-robot interaction (HRI), which often emphasize explicit, high-demand interactions and neglect more ambient, low-interference forms of coexistence. Drawing inspiration from plants, the research employs a Research through Design (RtD) approach to develop robotic prototypes that embody environmental integration, temporal rhythms, and subtle expressivity. Through iterative prototyping, an open-source hardware platform, and participatory user workshops, the project systematically introduces plant-inspired metaphors into HRI for the first time. It proposes a novel paradigm centered on vegetal presence, temporality, and postural expression, challenging conventional interaction models. The work contributes an open-source suite of prototypes, empirical insights into user perception, and a set of design principles for ambient, environmentally embedded human-robot interaction.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Human-Robot Interaction
• Humans and AI: Interaction Techniques and Devices
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Simulating Human Behavior

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Research challenges in human and human-AI computation
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: User modeling and simulation for interactive and conversational systems

Abstract

Plants offer a paradoxical model for interaction: they are ambient, low-demand presences that nonetheless shape atmosphere, routines, and relationships through temporal rhythms and subtle expressions. In contrast, most human-robot interaction (HRI) has been grounded in anthropomorphic and zoomorphic paradigms, producing overt, high-demand forms of engagement. Using a Research through Design (RtD) methodology, we explore plants as metaphoric inspiration for HRI; we conducted iterative cycles of ideation, prototyping, and reflection to investigate what design primitives emerge from plant metaphors and morphologies, and how these primitives can be combined into expressive robotic forms. We present a suite of speculative, open-source prototypes that help probe plant-inspired presence, temporality, form, and gestures. We deepened our learnings from design and prototyping through prototype-centered workshops that explored people's perceptions and imaginaries of plant-inspired robots. This work contributes: (1) Set of plant-inspired robotic artifacts; (2) Designerly insights on how people perceive plant-inspired robots; and (3) Design consideration to inform how to use plant metaphors to reshape HRI.

Problem

• Human-Robot Interaction
• Plant-Inspired Design
• Ambient Interaction
• Design Metaphor
• Robotic Presence

Innovation

• plant-inspired design
• ambient HRI
• Research through Design
• robotic metaphors
• speculative prototyping