Nukabot (2019~)
Ferment Media Research (Dominique Chen, Youngah Seong, Kazuhiro Jo, Hiraku Ogura, Kiichi Moriya, Yuto Mitani, Naoto Sekiya)
Nukabot was born out of Dominique’s reflection on accidentally ruining his nukadoko (fermentation bed) and his desire to “hear” the voice of fermentative microbes. It was first exhibited at the XXII Milano Triennale (2019) and, following its presentation at ALIFE 2019, has undergone multiple exhibitions and experiments, evolving through four generations of design. A suite of sensors—continuously connected to a cloud database—measures real-time chemical data (pH, ORP, various gases) to detect the state of fermentation. Nukabot responds to spoken human questions and even prompts humans for care when needed. Through this research-through-design process, we formulated two key concepts: “graduatable technology,” which does not create user dependency, and “fermentation-based design,” in which the system’s behavior itself shifts in response to human speech patterns and microbial activity.
Generational evolution of the Nukabot
4th generation Nukabot at Miraikan, The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (2022.4-2023.9). The porcelain body is crafted by Masanori Jo, a traditional pottery artist (Satsuma-yaki).
The outside and inside of the Nukabot. During the exhibition that lasted 1 year and 4 months, a live nuka (mixture of rice bran, salt and water) had been maintained and cared for by the museum staffs and the teams.
Systematic schema of the Nukabot.
3td generation Nukabot at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, “traNslatioNs - Understanding Misunderstanding” exhibition.
Three-way relationship between human, microbial flora, and Nukabot.