Manini Banerjee

Systems Designer & Research Engineer making environmental complexity legible and actionable.

COMPUTATIONAL ECOLOGY:

BIOPOD Co.
ECOLOGY · INFRASTRUCTURE · SYSTEMS
Designing deployable ecological infrastructure for wetland restoration based on environmental research.

Ecological AI

PREDICTION · INTERFACE · DATA
A Decision-Support System for Targeted Ecosystem Restoration.

Algorithmic Morphogenesis

BIO-COMPUTATION · DATA MATERIALIZATION
inscribing real-time human neurological data (EEG) into living algal morphology using phototactic actuation

HARDWARE & INTERFACES:

Threads

EDGE ML · HARDWARE · TEXTILES
Sentient Surfaces + Edge ML on Textiles. Human-AI Symbiosis through Ubiquitous Computing.

S(kin)-orb
HAPTICS · BIOSENSING · AFFECTIVE COMP. A bio-digital interface translating electromyographic (EMG) signals into haptic feedback for remote affective communication.

Vermiform

COMPONENT · SOFT ROBOTICS · WEARABLE
Bio-mimetic architectures for wearable computing.

Chito-bot
BIOCOMPOSITES · TRANSIENT ELECTRONICS
Investigating material compliance and structural integrity in bio-composite hexapods.

STRATEGIC SYSTEMS:

PFV

MOBILITY · ECOLOGY · SYSTEMS

Autonomous Mobility as Urban Bio-Infrastructure.

Aero

SENSING · MATERIALS · DATA
Developing robotic material systems for localized air-quality sensing and pollutant sequestration through embedded environmental intelligence.

Bio - intelligence
COPMUTATION · SYSTEMS · BIOLOGY
Exploring biological computation as an alternative model for system intelligence and control.

29.4°+4°…+4°

Human mutation in the age of global warming

Details: Biodesign • Speculative Design •

Date: 2020

Team: Manini Banerjee (Creative Direction, Design)

esign Challenge Summit 2023

29.4° + 4.0° is a series that documents exaggerated speculation. In this project, I tackle human mutation in the age of extreme inhumane of level heat waves and water scarcity.

Through the careful analysis and adaptation of animals living in extreme environments and their coping mechanisms, and studying the human anatomy, this series provides a mere taste of what your body could look like, if we don't make amends to heal our planet.

The body mutations have been applied directly to the artists face and body - the entire process taking place with the help of household products. I intend to implant this idea of a gory "what if", make the viewer let out a gag, and begin conversations leading to action.

MINERAL BUILDUP AND EXCRETION: Our current human body is adapted to lose water in a number of ways - this can be extremely wasteful for the future man in the heated environment. However the excretion process is only a mechanism to excrete salt and electrolytes, and in the case of pee - potassium, phosphorus and uric acid. This is all a means to remove mineral buildup from the body. In this part of the series, mineral excretion is mutated into mineral extraction without water. It is a concept heavily inspired by the Dessert Road Runner in how it excretes salt from excretion ducts that are situated near its eyes. However, in the future humans, this can be anticipated throughout the body as sweat, tear, and urethra glands all presently excrete.

ECOSYSTEM FOR ORGANISM GROWTH: About 60% of the human body is made from water. This number is likely to drop in the future, however a high percentage will be retained in order to allow for efficient organ function. In this part of my exploration, I heavily speculated on the fact that we become "water reservoirs", becoming a perfect Ecosystem for organism growth - due to our regulated body temperatures, water content, and excretion techniques. Moreover, knowing the capabilities of human race and their abilities, I am not afraid to speculate that with this mutation, we might become portable gardens to source our meals and cousines.

MUCUS BUBBLE: The Mucus bubble is an SPF equipped moisture retention mechanism secreted from sweat glands. This is a less viscous liquid which allows for protection as well as a slower speed of liquid evaporation, which keeps the body cooler for longer periods of time. This mechanism is inspired by the Pixie Desert Frog who buries itself in a mucus membrane before it begins its hibernation process.

FAT STORAGE MECHANISM: Up next, is a concept we are all familiar with - the storage of fat. However, with the heat and scarcity of essential nutrients - this is the likely method of mutation. This part of the series was heavily inspired by fat storing animals like the camel. Through a very efficient chemistry, the body will be able to retain a higher level of fat - and periodically eat away at it. As the body goes through this speeded method of di-gestion, fats break down releasing both energy and H,0 which will be able to hydrate the body and also aiding the body's efficiency.