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> Introduction


⛰︎Tree-001 is an ongoing research project, that aims to live-stream a living tree on a dedicated website as long as the tree lives. The research continues in acquiring new ways to sync the network and the related electronics to the tree’s lifetime. The tree, an earth-bound, long living creature that grows slowly and may live hundreds of years, is the main character that sets the clock and the conditions of our experiments.

⛰︎We try to experiment in multiple ways; 1> low-data aesthetics in livestream video formats, 2> renewable energy source, 3> durability of electronics, and 4> using an open source network.

⛰︎At the moment our first version of the livestream is set up in www.tree-001.com. However the tree is still on our balcony in Eindhoven, and it is looking for a natural reserve that it can call a permanent home. We’re at the moment just using a cctv camera, and now on our way of making a Tree-002 our second version of livestream, that will implement more alternative and customised hardware & softwares.

⛰︎Now in 2023-2024 we are working on a>microcontroller based small camera and small servers, b>solar power, c> microbial fuel cells (mud based power cells) and d> wireless communication using LoRa.

⛰︎#permacomputing #sustainability #durable #electronics #opensourcetech #trees #slowtech #lowtech
prototype of tree-002 livestream




>Team


〰Our team is comprised of two humans — Sunjoo Lee and Timm Donke. Sunjoo is an artist busy with art + technology + ecology projects, and Timm is a designer and entrepreneur. Seokyung Kim is our former member, a graphic designer, who still supports the project. We are based in Eindhoven and Rotterdam.

〰We ask for advice for knowledge from various professionals. The people who have so far advised us are — Jap Smits(ecologist/forester), Jip de Beer(IT specialist), Luis Ferreira(creative coder), Ko de Beer(electronics maker), Frank Beks(LoRa specialist), Eric Sprik(hardware engineer).

〰We are supported by Stimuleringsfonds and have so far collaborated with Varia Rotterdam, and students from Design Academy Eindhoven through workshops.

〰The wetlands (River Dommel & Gender, and small ponds & creeks) and forests of Eindhoven have supported us with generous amount of soil and mud for Earth Battery and Microbial Fuel Cell making. Also the little oak tree, our main character in the first website is our tiny collaborator who is still going strong.

Contact us at: tree001project[at]gmail.com
Members of Tree-001 project
photo from MU, by Hanneke Wetzer