Dispersal Vector Agents

The institution of seed vaults is one attempt at preparing for widespread food shortage, which is one worst case scenario likely to come about as a result of global climate change. Seeds chosen for storage are typically those that can sustain human life (e.g., wheat, legumes, various food crop seeds). While addressing an important issue, these structures are largely designed for humans, undermining the importance of seeds within broader ecological systems.

Climate change disturbs interdependent relationships in nature comprised of plants, animals, and even weather systems. Seeds are an integral part of sustaining these systems; the plants that grow from them provide food and shelter for various species. At the same time, seeds also rely on these systems for their own survival.

In order to grow in population and over large distances, seeds require natural and biological mechanisms to ‘move.’ For example, seeds can travel via wind, from continent to continent over ocean currents, and via animals, who disperse seeds by ingestion and via their migratory paths.

Dispersal Vector Agents imagines a scenario where these mechanisms are eradicated or at-risk as a result of climate change. This project reconsiders seeds as active, living organisms. In this structure, the organization, storage, and movement of seeds is facilitated by a system that utilizes robot agents to deliver seeds based on need.