By Christ Minj
Siliguri, September 16, 2026: The Radio Club members of Salesian College (Autonomous), Siliguri marked National Radio Day with the public unveiling of ECOTUNES, an innovative project that transforms electrical signals from living plants into musical patterns.
Conceived by a Psychology student Anand Kumar, Founder of the Radio Club, and developed by another student Ronish Minj, ECOTUNES blends plant sensing, electronics, programming, and sound to create an interactive audio‑visual experience.
Using electrodes, the system detects subtle electrical variations in plants, processes them digitally, and converts them into musical output, complemented by LED displays simulating emotional states.
During the project demonstration in August participants interacted with plants by touching, caressing, pinching and watering them, observing immediate changes in sound and visuals.
“ECOTUNES is an example of how technology can help us experience nature in a different way,” said Father C.M. Paul, Vice‑Principal (Sciences) and Director of the Radio Club.
Teacher‑in‑Charge Wangdeep Tamang added, “It shows what can happen when students are given the opportunity to experiment and build.”
In its bid to secure a place in the India Book of Records, the experiment was broadcast on Radio Salesian 90.8 FM – The Voice of the Hills, based at Salesian College Sonada, in Darjeeling district of West Bengal on September 10. The live show was hosted by RJ Moses, with Program Director RJ Samir Chhetri present during the broadcast.
The project adds to the Radio Club’s growing portfolio of interdisciplinary initiatives, including Everrooted and the Eco Prahari Green Campus Initiative.
The team now plans to submit ECOTUNES to the Asia Book of Records for wider recognition.
With ECOTUNES, the Radio Club continues to expand student‑led innovation, blending science, creativity and ecological awareness in ways that invite audiences to listen, interact and observe the living world anew.