project29:Interactions

The Digital Gardener interacting with people

This project focuses on the interaction between Humans, Virtual reality (through gaming) and Nature (through gardening. The idea is to make gardening more accessible to the City dwellers at the RDM, Rotterdam, the Netherlands and the world through gaming. The digital gardener could log in the system, check the status of his plan/s and take care of it through the use of a mobile app. In this way a sense of ownership can still be present in a public space. One spiral would be open to the public, while the other spiral will have limited access to individuals who would go there purposely to garden physically. A virtual connection through several atriums enables the visitors to marvel at their plants and to experience the action of the app.

From all over the world people are able to connect via a mobile app directly to the Digital Gardner. The simple user surface of the mobile app allows the gamer to pick a level and a specific location within the digital gardner. According to gradient, light and climate conditions the app will offer,on any chosen position, a range of possible plants that are suitable to be planted. Further more the gamer can make use of different tools like planting, watering or lightening. It will be clearly indicated how watering or lightening conditions need to be improved at different positions to help the user to take care of his/her plants. By controlling the app the gamer gains the possibility to control actions within the Digital gardener.