MOTION REACTIVE SQUIRREL - 2018

ARDUINO | SEWING

TIMELINE: 3 WEEKS

I was prompted to create a self portrait using hardware for my Arts and Electronics class (ART479E). I wanted to represent my tendency to keep people at arms length through sound.

Why a squirrel?

My university is run rampant by its squirrels. I thought it would be funny to represent myself as a squirrel, which is a creature that has become a sort of joke across campus as being fearless and energetic. I also thought the idea of using a toy to emit a noise could have other interesting applications beyond this project. One could ruminate on how noise and toys can affect cognitive development in children for example.

The Tech

I used Arduino as my micro-controller with a doppler radar sensor to detect motion. I also ripped a piezo speaker from an old toy I had in my home as well as a few jumper wires to connect to the breadboard.

The code was pretty straightforward. The sensor would essentially feed the motion it sensed into the serial monitor and if it was over a certain threshold it would make a sound.

The Art

Once I got the hardware down, I had to consider how I would “hide” the technology to make the project more artistic. Since the squirrel was a plushie, I decided now would be a good time to learn how to sew!

I first removed some of the stuffing inside the squirrel plushie. I then stuffed the breadboard inside the plushie and began to stitch the torn seam.

The Arduino and a few wires were still visible though so I had to think of how I could cover it up. I saw felt lying around the makerspace I was working in and decided to make the squirrel a cape!

The Final Product

Below is the prototype of the squirrel reacting to motion.

What did I learn?

• Combining two mindsets is hard and fun. This project required both the mind of an engineer and an artist to be successful. It was hard to think of both aesthetics and the function of the product but it was really fun!

• Simplicity can be beautiful. This project was fairly simple in both the hardware and the sewing technique required but the results were interesting. Complexity is beautiful but sometimes simplicity is just what is needed for a project.