Squeaky Whisker v4

Overview

We took apart a printer and used its parts for materials to build an interactive whisker prototype. We found an unexpected surprise in the gears which create different sounds based on the materials applied to them.

Initially, users played with a spring to close a simple circuit which would turn the gears. They would place different materials along them to create different sounds which each seemed to take on a personality.

Our second iteration explored the look of the machine. We laser cut a cat-like mask out  of black acrylic  to "dress up" our little robot. Based on feedback we realized that leaving the raw parts exposed created a more honest and deliberate character.

Later we experimented with a different kind of input and ended up attaching a photo-resistor which spins the gears in proportion to the  amount of light in the environment, making it seem like the machine is scared of the dark.

Materials

• Photo-resistor
• Arduino Uno
• Motor
• 9V alkaline battery
• 12V sealed lead-acid battery
• Hacked printer parts
• Foam base
• Electronic components (breadboard, resistors, mosfet, wires, etc)