First came robots, then robotic plants that grow
Robotic plants could help find mines and pollutants buried in soil, or be used to explore alien planets for signs of organic material.
Key takeaways
- The robotic plants have roots that grow and unwind into soil just like the real thing, only they’re made up of metal and wires.
- Headed by Barbara Mazzolai, the team at the Institute of Technology in Italy have been developing the robotic plant to mimic the functions of a single root.
- Check it out Once the system is firmly rooted, it can begin testing the soil and environment around it.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2018) 'First came robots, then robotic plants that grow', 311 Institute, 18 October. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/first-came-robots-then-robotic-plants-that-grow/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Plants are getting a lot of attention all of a sudden, whether it’s from researchers who are trying to turn them into surveillance devices and discovering they learn like dogs, or other researchers turning them into bioluminescent lights or mini renewable power plants. No pun intended. Now though a group of Italian scientists have taken artificial plants to the next level and created the world’s first bionic plant. The robotic plants have roots that grow and unwind into soil just like the real thing, only they’re made up of metal and wires. The robo-plants can help scientists detect gravity, water, temperature, touch, pH, nitrate and phosphate, in environments of any kind.
Headed by Barbara Mazzolai, the team at the Institute of Technology in Italy have been developing the robotic plant to mimic the functions of a single root. The robo-roots plunge into the soil using soft sensors to help guide them along their way into the ground material. Testing for rocks and impenetrable areas, the sensors pave the way for the synthetic roots to unwind to safety. The robotic roots then unfurl and extend, much like a real plant’s does, taking shape to the area around it.
Check it out
Once the system is firmly rooted, it can begin testing the soil and environment around it. The robo-plants would be ideal for testing soil in contaminated areas or disaster zones, but if further developed to become more durable it could possibly even test out soil in space. The artificial plant design could also be valuable in the medical world, in much smaller, microscopic sizes. They technology could be applied to endoscopes, that could move easily throughout the body, and bend and adapt to the environment.
The adaptive quality of the robotic plants could make leaps and bounds in many fields in the scientific realm. The developers are working on studying the communication between roots underground, and hope to employ it to the robo plants.
Source: New Scientist
What this means for your organisation
Soil sensing goes underground.
The robotic roots push into soil and steer around rocks and impenetrable areas. They can detect gravity, water, temperature, touch, pH, nitrate and phosphate. Contaminated areas and disaster zones are the obvious first uses.
The technology is still early.
In 311 data, robot plants sit at Watch, with a readiness level of 3. The first product is expected in 2035 and wide use in 2044. The source says the design must become more durable before it could test soil in space.
Build sensing skills now.
Related fields are further along. Soft robots, made from bendy materials, are at readiness level 9. Autonomous sensor systems are marked Prepare, with wide use expected in 2029. Teams that learn these now will be ready when growing sensors mature.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Where do we need soil or ground data that is unsafe or hard to collect?
- Which sensing and soft robotics skills should we build before robot plants mature?
- Who could we partner with to test adaptive sensors in our own sites?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Robotic plants could help find mines and pollutants buried in soil, or be used to explore alien planets for signs of organic material.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on robotics and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- Institute of Technology iit.it
- communication between roots underground inhabitat.com
- Dn24018 robotic plant learns to grow like the real thing newscientist.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 18 October 2018. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2018). First came robots, then robotic plants that grow. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/first-came-robots-then-robotic-plants-that-grow/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.