ABSTRACT
The Plantoid robot is an artificial replica of an organic plant roots, not just in its appearance, but also in its behavior and strategies for soil exploration. Analogously to the natural counterpart, the robot is capable of “perceiving” the environment that it is exploring, and following, or escaping from, external stimuli. Moreover, the artificial roots are able to grow and penetrate the soil by means of addition of material at the apical level. What are the ethical implications of such robotic plants? Drawing on previous ethical concerns, one could argue that a plantoid, by replacing its natural counterpart, could destabilize the relationship between humans and plants. However, the human-plant relation is not consolidated yet. Indeed, for centuries, plants have been considered as dead entities, inferior to other living species, incapable of moving, without intelligence and feelings. However, science reveals that plants must sense and respond to a variety of environmental stimuli as they move through surrounding environments; they communicate information to other plants, animals or fungi, and implement complex, adaptive behaviors. Using the example of a robotic plant designed to interact with human beings, we argue that plantoids could improve the human–plant relation by raising awareness of, and increasing people’s knowledge about, natural plants, their behavior and capabilities.
