Imagine holding a controller that pulsates, breathes, lives under your fingers. This isn't science fiction, but the bold BioHybrid Device, the world's first gamepad grown from bacteria and yeast. This extraordinary fusion of biology and technology, born from the visionary collaboration between designers Vivien Roussel, Madalina Nicolae e Marc Teyssier, is redefining the boundaries of what is possible in the world of gaming and beyond.
Get ready to take a walk with me through the frontiers of human-machine interaction, where microorganisms become architects of a new era of sustainable, adaptive and completely biodegradable devices.
From cinema to reality
Now, as they say, I'll unlock a memory for you. Those of you who have seen, perhaps at the cinema (lucky you) "ExistenZ", the visionary film by David Cronenberg from 1999 in which the protagonists explore a virtual reality through a biological console? Good. You can always say “I was there”. The plot is a bit reminiscent of the trajectory of this biohybrid gamepad, but it is not a movie prop: it is an interactive design project that challenges the conventions of what a game controller is and how it should be produced.
Made by growing a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), this hybrid device integrates conductive elements, sensors and output components during the natural growth process of microorganisms. And, far from being a game, it can teach a lot of future applications.
Morphogenesis of a Gamepad: When Form Follows Life
The key to this revolutionary technology is the process of morphogenesis, or the natural development of biological forms. Instead of being built piece by piece, the BioHybrid Device literally “grows” into an organic form determined by the developmental patterns of microorganisms.
This guided growth becomes a manufacturing principle, allowing the gamepad to seamlessly merge with the embedded digital components. The result? A unique artifact, a hybrid of the organic and the artificial that challenges our perceptions of what is “alive” (and, indeed, what is “technological”).
A sustainable provocation for the future of gaming
The BioHybrid Device, as mentioned, is not just an exercise in style. It is a provocation that arises from the urgent need for more sustainable practices in the world of consumer electronics. In recent decades, hardware has become increasingly affordable and accessible, but also paradoxically “disposable”, contributing to the growing problem of electronic waste.
Devices like smartphones and computers are rarely designed to be repaired or reused, leading to ever shorter life cycles despite the longevity of the materials. The hybrid gamepad offers an alternative: a technology that not only comes from regenerative processes, but that at the end of its life cycle can be returned to the environment without leaving any traces.
The crucial questions are three: What if technology could seamlessly merge with the environment? How could it transform our perception of technological interfaces? And what responsibilities does designing living systems entail?
Hybrid Bio Gamepad: The Experiment That Opens New Horizons
The BioHybrid Device aligns itself with broader movements such as biodesign, speculative design and the circular economy. By fusing digital and biological production, it invites dialogue on the role of technology in a post-human future, where the boundaries between man, machine and nature dissolve.
It also draws on relational design philosophies, taking inspiration from thinkers such as Come on Hui e Ron Wakkary, which explore the integration of technology into ecological and relational systems. By incorporating life into the manufacturing process, designers redefine the status of objects as active participants in their environment.
Just the beginning of a journey into the gaming of the future
The BioHybrid Device is just the beginning of a broader exploration into living and sustainable technologies. Future iterations aim to refine the biofabrication process, explore new material applications, and expand functionality. This hands-on approach addresses the limitations and implications of a biotechnological future, inspiring others to rethink the relationship between humanity, technology, and the environment.
As we hold this extraordinary controller, this is a glimpse of the infinite possibilities that open up when we embrace life itself as technology. In this brave new world, our devices could grow with us, adapt to our needs, and eventually return to the earth without a trace.
The BioHybrid Device is an invitation to rethink our relationship with the material world and imagine a future where technology is truly in harmony with life.
