MYCELIUM REIMAGINES DISPOSABLE PHOTOGRAPHY
Sree Krishna Pillarisetti introduces Soft-pixel, a digital camera project with an enclosure crafted from mycelium, hemp, and PHA bioplastic. The design proposes a compostable shell for a device that keeps photos stored locally rather than in the cloud, inviting a fresh look at the concept of a disposable camera and what elements of it should be discarded.
Pillarisetti’s exploration into fungus-wrapped electronics began with Soft-Drive, his Parsons thesis, which encased a memory card and heat sink in mycelium, hemp, and PLA. Soft-pixel advances this by replacing PLA with PHA, a material change that contributes to its eco-design recognition.
soft-pixel explores biodegradable electronics | images courtesy of European Product Design Award
COMPOSTABLE MATERIALS AND AWARD-WINNING DESIGN
Soft-pixel earned the European Product Design Award for Best Eco-Design in 2026, alongside a Top Design win in digital cameras. Mycelium, the threadlike network of a fungus, forms a core component of the enclosure, produced through a combination of biological growth and heat-press fabrication.
The resulting casing presents as lightweight and impact-absorbing, according to the designer. The shift to PHA bioplastic is significant, as some PHA formulations can biodegrade in home compost environments, unlike PLA which typically requires industrial composting facilities for effective breakdown.
the speckled casing gives the camera an organic texture
DESIGNING FOR LOCAL STORAGE AND END-OF-LIFE
The camera’s translucent outer layer reveals its fibrous interior, giving it an aesthetic reminiscent of a granola bar. Functionally, the rear features a square screen, four directional buttons, and orange labels for controls, speaker, and mic, echoing a hobbyist development board.
A “Cheese!” label marks the shutter, and a microSD label indicates the local storage method for photos. The presence of four visible screws holding the circuit board in place, with a precision driver positioned over one, suggests the device is intended for opening, a notable detail for a design drawing from the disposable camera playbook.
photographs are stored locally on a microSD card