Interactive Mycelium Composites: Material Exploration on Combining Mushroom with Off-the-shelf Electronic Components
Çağlar Genç, Emilia Launne, Jonna Häkkilä
Abstract
Using organic materials for interactive products has gained attention during the past few years. Among them, mycelium, the vegetative part of the mushroom, is a promising material and explored by only distinct examples in HCI. This paper adopts a systematic approach to combining mycelium with LEDs, optical fibers, servo motors, micro-vibration motors, thermochromic inks, conductive threads and fabrics. We created 10 material samples utilizing input (touch) and/or output (light, movement and color-change) features. We describe our material exploration process, as well as the results of an online survey (N=30) and two design workshops (N=10) which examined the experiences evoked by different interactive elements and collected potential use-cases. Our work contributes insights about the technology inclusion to the natural feel of the mycelium, the material’s suitability for tangible interaction and suggests future applications for the composites as a sustainable alternative for interactive interior design elements and ambient displays.