Week 3(a): Project Planning — MoSCoW prioritisation and SMART Goal

1. MoSCoW Goals for My Graduation Project:

Must-have:

• 1.Arduino Bioelectrical Sonification Device(Signal Encoding Core)： A custom-built device that captures the plant’s real-time bioelectrical signals and converts them into MIDI Note messages. These notes are visualized through the Arduino Serial Monitor, forming the foundational data stream for the entire installation.
• 2. A Real Plant: As this project will collecting the plant bioelectrical signal, which must have a real plant to reflected it inner signal state
• 3. Python Sound Engine: Receives MIDI Note messages and transforms them into audio waveforms using a library such as FluidSynth. This module gives the plant an audible voice through synthesized sound.
• 4. Simplified 3D form of Virtual Plant Model: A digital representation of the plant that serves as the visual counterpart to the bio-sonic data..
• 5. TouchDesigner Audiovisual Output System: Combines the sound and MIDI data into a generative audiovisual output. Particle behaviors, colors, and motion respond in real time to the plant’s signal-driven sound, completing the immersive experience.

Should-have:

High-Fidelity 3D Plant Model

1. To enhance visual engagement and bring the plant’s identity closer to its real-world form, a more refined version of the 3D model should have implemented.

• Custom textures based on the actual plant
• Translucent materials to simulate organic light behavior
• Subtle shader-based movement to evoke a sense of “living presence”
• Color gradients mapped to real plant pigmentation

2. A custom 3D plant model can be designed to reveal visual representations of the plant’s internal structures, such as stylised cells, vascular systems. These internal elements can be externalised onto the surface or semi-exposed, acting as dynamic visual metaphors for the plant’s invisible bioelectrical activity.

• Animated inner membranes, cells, or energy pathways
• A hybrid of botanical accuracy and artistic abstraction

While the installation can function without it, it deepens the interpretive layer and supports the conceptual goal of giving plants a perceivable agency.

Could-have

1. Real Evening Primrose as the Living Interface: The digital 3D model I create for my project is based on the form of an Evening Primrose. which could have a real Evening Primrose plant (natural blooming season between June and August) as the source of bioelectrical signals can strengthen the conceptual and visual cohesion between the physical and virtual layers of the project.

2. Spatial Depth and Environmental Design in TouchDesigner: My project could have a spatial presence within the audiovisual system in TouchDesigner

• Layered 30 environments
• Soft bloom around the 3D plant model, simulating energy emission

3.A custom-designed outer shell: To improve the visual coherence and exhibition quality of the installation, a custom-designed outer shell or container could have for both the Arduino hardware and the plant itself.

• Enhance safety and durability for public exhibition contexts
• Hide exposed wires, breadboards, and circuitry for a cleaner aesthetic
• Use natural or translucent materials (e.g., wood, acrylic, bioplastic) to echo the organic-digital theme

Won’t-have

• Physical Interaction: The audience won’t physically interact with the plant or the installation. There are no touch-based sensors or manual triggers included.
• Environmental Simulation: an installation that simulates environmental changes such as sunlight variation, temperature shifts, or humanity won’t be included. Although this could generate interesting variations in plant bioelectrical signal response, it requires additional sensing, programming, and environmental control systems beyond the current scope.
• Multi-plant: I postponed the development of a multi-plant and dynamic plant visualisation, which could enrich the ecological narrative in my project but would require significantly more time for 3D modelling and hardware systems.

2. SMART Goal for My Graduation Project:

SMART GOAL

Specific

I aim to develop an Arduino-based biodata sonification device that captures plant bioelectrical signals and converts them into MIDI notes. Use Python to translate these notes into real-time sound output. Create a basic 3D virtual plant in Blender as the foundation for visual representation. Finally, integrate all components in TouchDesigner to build a synchronized audiovisual installation, where plant-generated sound dynamically influences the visual form. The aim is to allow audiences to experience plant communication beyond the limits of human perception.

Measurable

To track my progress, I plan to publish weekly blog updates that include photos and videos documenting the development of the Arduino device, MIDI sound tests, 3D modelling process, and TouchDesigner integration. Each post will also record the evolution of my ideas, conceptual reflections, inspirations, and the implementation process. These updates will serve as milestones to assess technical consistency, address challenges, and evaluate whether the audiovisual system responds effectively to plant signals by the end of the build phase.

Achievable

I intend to follow the timeline set out in my Gantt chart, aiming to complete a minimum viable installation by the week 10 & 11. To achieve this, I will build upon the practical skills I developed through UAL courses, where I learned how to set up and implement Arduino systems, convert data using Python, and create 3D models in foundation years. My previous experience with TouchDesigner also provides a solid foundation for constructing the audiovisual installation. In addition to applying this prior knowledge, I will actively seek guidance from academic resources, tutorials, and online communities to overcome technical challenges as they arise.

Relevant

My project is inspired by scientific research on how plants communicate through bioelectrical signals in response to environmental changes. This signals that are often imperceptible or overlooked in everyday life. The project aims to explore how plant communication can be made perceptible through technology. Converting bioelectrical signals into sound and visual outputs supports the goal of revealing plant agency through sensory experience. It also engages with broader themes such as non-human communication and ecological awareness. Furthermore, the project draws from key areas of my Creative Computing studies, including physical computing, data sonification, and real-time visual interaction, making it a meaningful and integrated part of both my academic and creative development.

Time-bound

I will follow the timeline set in my Gantt chart to ensure steady progress.

The final visual refinement and debugging aim to be completed by early May, which will help to leave time for my thesis writing and final checking before the submission deadline