Christmas at “SobraPet”
This workshop required children to work collectively through interaction with stuffed animals with embedded technology, so that a greater goal could be achieved.
With a Christmas theme, a Christmas tree was decked out with six interactive levels of lights that could be turned on or off individually, using a flasher for each level. During the dynamic, Chico and Teddy, plush animals with embedded technology, received hugs from the children and, according to the intensity of the hugs, the system responded in different ways: sound with the animals talking, graphics on a display, and lights on the Christmas tree.
For every three strong hugs from Chico, one level of the tree would light up, but only if Teddy also received at least two strong hugs, requiring coordination and collaboration.
Children at SobraPets' Christmas
Children sitting on the floor in a circle looking at the screen.
Digital Christmas Tree
A Christmas tree was incorporated into the environment, with the LEDs responding to the pets' hugs.
Teddy at Christmas
Teddy, a teddy bear with built-in technology.
Children and Researchers at SobraPet
Children participating in the workshop: Christmas at “SobraPet”
Children at SobraPet
Children participating in the workshop: Christmas at “SobraPet”
Accomplishing the Mission - Hug and Pass
In this workshop, in addition to Chico, a bear that the children named Teddy gained sensors and enabled the implementation of interaction between these two stuffed animals according to the interactions that the children performed with them.
A narrative similar to the game “Hot Potato” was developed, in which the participating children sat on the floor in a circle while hugging and passing Chico. At a given moment, Chico interrupted the activity to ask a child to perform a playful task and, at that moment, a voice was heard coming from a box (Teddy's voice). The goal was, at the end of six tasks by different children, to free Teddy who was trapped inside a box so he could join the SobraPets.
Through an interview, it was possible to observe new subjective attributes about the workshop in general and the SobraPets.
Child hugging Teddy bear
Child hugging Teddy bear with built-in technology.
Children passing the Teddy bear
Children sitting on the floor hugging and passing the Teddy bear from hand to hand.
Hugging Chico
Children sitting on the floor hugging and passing Chico, a stuffed monkey, from hand to hand.
Making of
Teddy teddy bear is taken out of a box.
Hugging a teddy bear
Children sitting on the floor hugging and passing Teddy, a teddy bear with built-in technology, from hand to hand.
The “SobraPet” World - Receiving New Friends
The purpose of this workshop was to present the concept of “SobraPets” to children in a hospital environment, and verify their acceptance by them.
In the proposed dynamic, a plush monkey with built-in technology named Chico, received hugs and was passed from hand to hand by the children present in the environment. Whenever a hug was recorded, its intensity was shown on a display also present in the environment, and an audio of Chico thanking the hug was played. When the hug was strong, a stuffed owl named Owlette, positioned next to the display, took a photo of the group and showed it on the display.
The methods used to assess affective aspects were well accepted by the children, and the results show that the SobraPets affected them positively.
Interacting with SobraPets
A child hugging Chico, a plush monkey with built-in technology that records the intensity of hugs.
Interacting with SobraPets
Pets (stuffed animals) are passed from hand to hand by children.
Drawing at SobraPets Workshop
Children are making drawings about their experience of interacting with SobraPets.
Using EmotiSAM to Evaluate the Interaction Experience
Children evaluating their interaction experience with SobraPets by selecting the emoji that best represents their affective state.
Mother and son at the SobraPets Workshop
A child is showing his drawing to his mother.