Plant-inspired ambient display for sharing affect: Color, motion, and shape

In this study, we propose a plant-inspired ambient display designed to convey the emotional states of remote users in both collaborative work and shared entertainment contexts. Drawing on the metaphor of plants commonly found in offices and homes, the system utilizes three plant-like modalities: color (leaf color), movement (overall shaking), and shape (leaf and stem bending). To examine the expressive potential of these modalities for conveying emotions, we created 24 plant emotion models, with two models for each of the 12 emotions selected from Russell’s circumplex model of affect. These models were generated through a user study in which participants (N=20) freely manipulated a mock-up. We also implemented a physical plant-imitating display using full-color LEDs, servo motors, and BioMetal Fibers (BMFs). Although the models did not strictly correspond to discrete emotion labels, evaluation results indicated that they provided a stable representation of specific affective regions (valence/arousal tendencies) within the circumplex model. Furthermore, comparative evaluations showed that the physical implementation successfully replicated the emotional impressions observed in the preliminary mock-ups. These findings suggest that plant metaphors have the potential to serve as a subtle and unobtrusive medium, for conveying broad affective tendencies in remote environments.