Jeli: The Interactive, Wearable Pet

An Arduino Project

Project Overview

Jeli was created as part of a four-week assignment to conceptualize and build a “product with personality” for a course in Interactive Product Design. Taking inspiration from products like Tamagatchis and Furbies, my partner and I decided to create a wearable pet that you could take along with you during your day to provide you company and joy. Given that my partner and I were both interested in the intersection of crafting and electronics, we also decided to build this product with homemade sensors and sewn circuitry.

Collaborators: Christa Lee

Date: Fall 2013

Soft Circut Design

As its core, Jeli is controlled by a Flora microcontroller, which is is well-suited to circuitry and wearable products. We connected the controller to homemade sensors, including a potentiometer and a force sensor, with conductive thread. To create these sensors, we took inspiration from the work of Kobakant and used a mixture of copper tape, felted conductive fibers, and velostat. In addition to these soft sensors, Jeli also uses a microphone, neopixels, and a piezo buzzer to give him life and personality during interactions.