Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ROOMors (At the ‘roots’ of motor intentions)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-09-01 al 2026-02-28
Imagine reaching for an apple: you may want to eat it or offer it to someone else. The action is similar, yet the movement subtly changes depending on your intention. In this sense, intentions become visible in motion.
While this is well established in humans and animals, it remains unexplored in plants.
ROOMors addresses this gap by asking a fundamental question: can plants express intention through their movements? Recent evidence shows that plant movements are not purely reactive. For instance, pea plants adjust the shape of their tendrils depending on the support they approach, suggesting a form of anticipation.
ROOMors aims to determine whether plants can plan their movements and whether their behavior is influenced by the actions of nearby plants.
While this is well established in humans and animals, it remains unexplored in plants.
ROOMors addresses this gap by asking a fundamental question: can plants express intention through their movements? Recent evidence shows that plant movements are not purely reactive. For instance, pea plants adjust the shape of their tendrils depending on the support they approach, suggesting a form of anticipation.
ROOMors aims to determine whether plants can plan their movements and whether their behavior is influenced by the actions of nearby plants.
At the midpoint of the project, ROOMors is already delivering compelling results by integrating approaches from experimental psychology and plant biology.
The project shows that plants:
• modulate their movements depending on context (e.g. growing alone, competing, or cooperating)
• respond selectively to chemical cues from related versus unrelated plants
• may anticipate and adjust to the behavior of neighboring plants
Together, these findings point to a level of behavioral flexibility and interaction in plants that goes beyond traditional views.
The project shows that plants:
• modulate their movements depending on context (e.g. growing alone, competing, or cooperating)
• respond selectively to chemical cues from related versus unrelated plants
• may anticipate and adjust to the behavior of neighboring plants
Together, these findings point to a level of behavioral flexibility and interaction in plants that goes beyond traditional views.
ROOMors advances a novel perspective of plants as active, sensing, and adaptive organisms, capable of responding to their environment in sophisticated ways.
This research has broad implications:
• improving our understanding of plant responses to environmental change and stress
• uncovering fundamental similarities between plant and animal life
• inspiring new approaches in artificial intelligence and robotics based on plant-like strategies
More broadly, ROOMors encourages a shift in how we view the plant kingdom—not as a passive background to life on Earth, but as a dynamic and integral part of a deeply interconnected living system.
This research has broad implications:
• improving our understanding of plant responses to environmental change and stress
• uncovering fundamental similarities between plant and animal life
• inspiring new approaches in artificial intelligence and robotics based on plant-like strategies
More broadly, ROOMors encourages a shift in how we view the plant kingdom—not as a passive background to life on Earth, but as a dynamic and integral part of a deeply interconnected living system.