Yingting Gao / 高莹婷
Yingting Gao, Alex Cabral, Josiah Hester, Hyunjoo Oh
/ Introduction
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In the field of HCI, an increasing number of designs are focusing on biomaterials to address sustainability challenges and rethink the relationship between humans and the environment.
Loofah is a kind of versatile biomaterial used in daily life. Its porosity, water-induced expansion, and tactile transformation properties offer new possibilities for sustainable interaction design.
This project aims to design a series of wearable devices inspired by the properties of loofah. Loofah has the ability to absorb natural indicators and display the pH levels of substances such as rain or soil. Additionally, its response to humidity—manifesting through changes in texture and volume—creates a stimulating sensory experience. Through this project, we use plants as a medium to foster deeper connections between humans and the nature, encouraging intimate interactions with nature and inspiring thoughtful reflection on our relationship with the natural world.
We used dip-coating method to create pH-sensitive loofahs by soaking loofah samples in solutions of red cabbage powder, butterfly pea flower, and purple sweet potato powder for 8 hours, followed by air-drying. The principle is based on the anthocyanins abundant in these natural materials, which change color with variations in pH: red in acidic environments, purple in neutral, and blue or green in alkaline conditions. The anthocyanins are absorbed into the loofah fibers, enabling them to visually indicate pH levels. This method is simple, eco-friendly, and highly creative.
