Nukabot: design of human-microbe-computer entanglement
Dominique Chen, Young ah Seong, Kazuhiro Jo · 2024
We present the latest development of Nukabot, a human-computer interaction mediation system that connects the fermented food microbiome with its human carer through voice communication. A nukadoko is a traditional Japanese fermentation technique that involves rice bran mixed with salt and water (nuka) put in a wooden, enamel, or plastic container (doko). The current version of Nukabot is a porcelain nukadoko equipped with chemical sensors to track the fermentation status, voice recognition, and vocal synthesis engines that enable humans to talk and ask questions about the ferment.