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interactive biohybrid device cultivated from biofabrication
The BioHybrid Device is a video game controller that merges biological growth with digital manufacturing. Designed by Vivien Roussel, Madalina Nicolae, and Marc Teyssier, the device is grown using SCOBY (a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) and integrates conductive elements, sensors, and output components during the natural growth process. By adopting biofabrication techniques, the project offers a glimpse into the future of sustainable, interactive technologies — proposing devices that evolve, adapt, and eventually biodegrade.
While its immediate application is for gaming, the implications of the BioHybrid Device extend far beyond gaming. It serves as a proof of concept for biologically grown interactive devices that could integrate into various aspects of daily life. Imagine keyboards, wearables, or even architectural components cultivated through biofabrication. The potential to grow technology rather than construct it opens the door to a new era of material innovation.
BioHybrid Device in action | all images courtesy of M. Nicolae and V. Roussel unless stated otherwise
by Vivien Roussel, Madalina Nicolae, and Marc Teyssier
The BioHybrid Device is a functional artifact and a provocation redefining how we create, interact with, and dispose of technical objects. Its tactile and aesthetic qualities — a combination of organic textures and futuristic design — offer a stark contrast to traditional plastic controllers. Grounded in the urgent need for sustainable practices, the device pushes the boundaries of interactive design by combining living and non-living systems. Morphogenesis, the biological process by which forms naturally develop, becomes a central manufacturing principle, allowing the controller to ‘grow’ rather than being constructed. By embedding electrically interactive components during the growth process, this hybrid creation blurs the lines between organic and artificial, living systems and digital manufacturing.
Designers Vivien Roussel, Madalina Nicolae, and Marc Teyssier draw inspiration from pressing environmental concerns. In the past decade, computing hardware has become inexpensive and widely available but is paradoxically disposable, contributing to e-waste — one of the fastest-growing waste streams globally. Devices like smartphones and computers are rarely designed for repair or reuse, leading to short lifespans despite their material longevity. The BioHybrid Device proposes a sustainable alternative.
a video game controller that merges biological growth with digital manufacturing
from extractive to regenerative processes
The BioHybrid Device embodies a shift from extractive production to regenerative processes, questioning the paradigms that have shaped technological innovation over decades, and challenging users to consider the potential of biofabrication in everyday objects. What if technology could merge seamlessly with the environment? How might it transform our perception of technological interfaces? And what responsibilities come with designing living systems?
The device aligns with broader movements like biodesign, speculative design, and circular economy. By merging digital and biological manufacturing, it invites dialogue about the role of technology in a posthuman future, where the boundaries between humans, machines, and nature dissolve. This project also taps into relational design philosophies, drawing inspiration from thinkers like Yuk Hui and Ron Wakkary, who explore the integration of technology into ecological and relational systems. By embedding life into the fabrication process, Vivien Roussel, Madalina Nicolae, and Marc Teyssier reframe the status of objects as active participants in their environment.
The BioHybrid Device is just the beginning of a broader exploration into sustainable, living technologies. Future iterations aim to refine the biofabrication process, explore new material applications, and expand functionality. This hands-on approach addresses the limits and implications of a biotechnological future, inspiring others to rethink the relationship between humanity, technology, and the environment.
the device is grown using SCOBY (bacteria and yeast) and integrates conductive elements during the natural growth process
aligned with broader movements like biodesign, speculative design, circular economy | image courtesy ESC Mediem Kunst Labor
a flat version of the joystick, just dried out after growing
the gamepad during an exhibition at ESC mediem Kunst Labor, Graz, Autria | image courtesy ESC Mediem Kunst Labor
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the fabrication steps and used techniques summarized | image © M. Nicolae & V. Roussel
experimentation and stabilization of the method on the publication UIST’23
project info:
name: BioHybrid Device
designer: Vivien Roussel, Madalina Nicolae, Marc Teyssier
contributor: Marion Koelle, Samuel Huron
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edited by: ravail khan | designboom