For the final, I decided to continue with the therapy toy dog concept. This dog will be able to talk back to its owner and give therapy suggestions embedded with ChatGPT or Siri. It will also respond with simple body movements for emotional support. The function is similar to a Bluetooth headphone, connecting to the phone and playing AI-generated responses that feel like natural dialogue.
Progress:
Now the dog is torn down. Looks just like a pelt for taxidermy…
The mannikin and gears inside:
I realized that there’s only one motor, and all moving parts(head, tail, and legs) are connected, which means the dog can only do one type of movement. What I can do is code the motor to move at different speeds to make it “react” with different moods. And There’s not enough space in its body, so I will probably put the boards into the battery holder. Thankfully it has a large skull for me to put a speaker into it.
Material list:
- Walking Dog Interactive Electronic Plush Toy
- Arduino Nano ESP32
- Soundboard: Adafruit Audio FX Mini Sound Board-WAV/OGG Trigger-2MB Flash
- Amplifier: Electret Microphone Amplifier – MAX9814 with Auto Gain Control
- Audio Speaker: 40mm Diameter 4Ohm 5Watt (or 28mm 8 ohm 0.5W, if there’s not enough space)
- Motor: already included in the toy
Video storyline:
1, A pet owner calls the toy dog’s name, and it comes to life, walking towards them with a wagging tail and cheerfully responding with barks or saying, “I’m here!”
2, The owner sits down and begins sharing their recent stresses. The dog gives him some comforting words and helpful coping skills.
3, The owner pets the toy dog, and it responds with body movements
4, The scene ends with the owner smiling, feeling comforted and supported, as the dog happily stays by their side.
Google doc:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/114kMzZCTpjZoU6NhlzyOiMGPHB5-gWQsLyxokE4Dccw/edit?usp=sharing