A video game controller which is not built, but yes cultivate. The BioHybrid Device was born from a revolutionary idea: combining bacteria, yeast and digital fabrication to create an interactive device that not only works, but evolves over time and ultimately biodegrades. Designed by Vivien Roussel, Madalina Nicolae and Marc Teyssier, the controller takes advantage of the SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts) as the basis for its development. During the growth process, sensors and conductive components are integrated, transforming this organic object into a functioning electronic device.
The result? A controller that breaks the mold of traditional technology, offering a sustainable alternative to disposable devices that contribute to the growing problem of electronic waste.
The BioHybrid Device is a practical demonstration of how biological technologies can redefine our relationship with everyday objects. It’s not just a video game controller, but a concept that could be applied to keyboards, wearables and even furnishing accessories. The idea of cultivate devices instead of producing them with extractive resources shifts the focus to processes regenerativeoffering a more ethical and sustainable vision for the future.
This technology opens up new possibilities for a circular designwhere nothing is wasted and objects return to the environment without negative impact. It’s not just new: it’s a concrete step to combat planned obsolescence and reduce the technological waste that suffocates the planet.
When design meets sustainability
Aesthetically, the BioHybrid Device combines an organic and futuristic appearance that defies convention. Its creators want not only to propose a functional device, but also to stimulate reflection. If technology can live, evolve And biodegradehow will our way of interacting with objects change?
This innovation connects to movements like the biodesign and the speculative designwhich explore the boundary between natural and artificial. The BioHybrid Device is not just a product: it is a provocateur. It invites us to reconsider the role of technology and to think of objects not as inevitable waste, but as part of a natural cycle.
The BioHybrid Device is an experiment, of course, but it is also an open window onto the future. There biomanufacturing it could transform the way we produce, use and dispose of technology, integrating it harmoniously with the environment.
The next versions of this device aim to improve growth processes, experiment with new materials and expand its functionality. It is an open challenge for all those who believe that the future of technology should be more responsible and more human.
