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Snoozy the Sloth

Snoozy the Sloth is a plush toy with a respiratory system. He sleeps while clinging onto a user, allowing them to feel both the contraction and expansion of his chest, as well exhaling of air from his mouth. The main concept behind snoozy is to create an intimate, yet passive, toy interaction that relaxes and comforts a user, through the tactile experience of steady breathing patterns.

Snoozy the Sloth is a plush toy with a respiratory system.  He sleeps while clinging onto a user, allowing them to feel both the contraction and expansion of his chest, as well exhaling of air from his mouth. The main concept behind snoozy is to create an intimate, yet passive, toy interaction that relaxes and comforts a user, through the tactile experience of steady breathing patterns. Creating a system that was battery powered, and used actual air flow rather than simply faking chest movemment with a motorized system, were of main importance.  Snoozy’s main internals consist:

  • an arduino
  • a breadboard
  • 2 dc motor diaphram pumps
  • a latex glove (his lung)
  • 1 9v battery
  • 1 12v battery
  • a solenoid valve.

The circuit uses 2 TIP102 transistors to seperate the 9v going to the Arduino, and 12v going to the motors and solenoid valve. The pumps, each located in one of his legs, push air into the latex glove until it’s fully contracted.  The motors then shut off, and the air is released through by solenoid valve located in his head. An located in the Snoozy’s chest, fades in and out in accordance with his breathing. The pumps seemed a bit loud at first, however the majority of user testers (aged 18-30) seemed to not mind the noise. I’m still in the process of looking for a quieter alternative (an important concern for younger users), with enough pressure to fill the latex lung.



core circuit

final video

I created this toy for Yury Gitman’s “Making Toys” class at Parsons The New School For Design

A few of the write-ups Snoozy has received:

Thanks to all for the posts!

25 Comments

  1. May 18, 2009 at 3:55 pm | Permalink

    This is too cool! Is Snoozy filled with pinto beans or similar stuffing to give it some mass? I think that would improve the tactile experience.

  2. Big McLarge Huge
    May 19, 2009 at 12:21 am | Permalink

    I think this is a great project/product. The first thing that I wondered was what kind of noise does the pump make? That would probably be my biggest concern whether or not the noise of the pump would take away from the authenticity of Snoozy’s breathing. Again, great concept. I can’t wait to have my own Snoozy.

  3. May 19, 2009 at 12:54 am | Permalink

    Thanks.

    The motor pumps make a low vibrating noise, which can be a bit noisy in a quiet environment. Since this was the first iteration, and there was a limited amount of time to create Snoozy, I settled for the pumps posted above. They didn’t seem to be too bothersome for most of the user testers (18-30 in age) in terms of actually feeling Snoozy’s belly movement and exhales, and can be modified to the reduce the vibrations and noise. However, they would probably be a bit too loud for a young child, and are not going to be the final solution.
    I’m planning on experimenting further with different airflow systems to strike the right balance between cost, noise, weight, and energy consumption.

  4. May 19, 2009 at 6:43 am | Permalink

    Please make it snore a bit! I’d certainly bought one if I had a chance. Good luck m8.

  5. Philippe
    May 19, 2009 at 8:35 am | Permalink

    Why not use some sort of slow pump that would sound like the thumping of a heart ? Maybe you could just modulate the current to the motor to achieve such a sound, after all some people make old hard drives play music…

    How about this kind of pump: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peristaltic_pump ? (maybe not for air though).
    See also http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:167

    Good job!

  6. Randy
    May 19, 2009 at 8:43 am | Permalink

    How much can I buy one for?

  7. May 19, 2009 at 9:15 am | Permalink

    I would like to buy one ,What would be the real kicker Is if you added scent like chocolate My little girl has a moose with the scent and you cant get it away from her Contact for a sale
    Thanks

  8. May 19, 2009 at 10:45 am | Permalink

    Excellent! There is actually a Neuro-Linguistic Programming reason as to why this works, based on the concept of Match, Pace, Lead. If I were you, I’d contact Dr. Daniel Scott at http://www.soaringsuccess.ca/ to get some great supporting material.

  9. Chuck M.
    May 19, 2009 at 12:35 pm | Permalink

    Okay, I freely admit that this is just…adorable. I reckon it’d be a total sleeper hit (no pun intended) on the toy scene. It’s got a gentle, comforting charm that I think would put both kids & adults at ease.

    Plus the potential is huge, I’m seeing Bleaty, the narcoleptic goat with night terrors who clings to your neck with his front legs and headbutts you in the chin, occasionally. ;)

    No, really, awesome work, keep it up!

  10. Steve Day
    May 19, 2009 at 3:41 pm | Permalink

    This is a great project. I grew up with animals anyway, so I know how comforting it is to have them cuddle up while sleeping. I hope this turns out to be a huge success for you and you make millions … it would be great to one day have them available in children’s hospitals.

  11. Runo
    May 19, 2009 at 4:01 pm | Permalink

    Cool :) I’d like it even more if it could purr, though =^.^=
    Purring is very relaxing and even helps cure injuries…!

  12. rlw
    May 20, 2009 at 9:02 am | Permalink

    If this will help babies and toddlers go to sleep, you have a multi-_billion_ dollar hit in the making. Parents will buy anything that really helps get their children to go to sleep.

    Get yourself to a _good_ patent lawyer post-haste. Now that you are public, time is of the essence.

  13. sdfsd
    May 20, 2009 at 4:13 pm | Permalink

    your main concern should be battery life !

  14. name
    May 20, 2009 at 8:45 pm | Permalink

    It needs a face or else it looks way too creepy.

  15. cdreid
    May 24, 2009 at 7:41 am | Permalink

    This is just AWESOME. What a clever idea. I might just try something like this for my niece. You should consider a simple Bellows with maybe a solenoid or servo/screw combination. It should be a lot quieter and the servo version might be more controllable and thus more “natural”. AWESOME idea

  16. May 27, 2009 at 8:06 am | Permalink

    Where did you get the solenoid valve?

  17. May 27, 2009 at 9:41 pm | Permalink

    You can get them through Jameco. They’re reasonably priced, and work really well. My friend Florica recommended the model to me, after using them extensively for a project.

  18. Craig Marshall
    June 1, 2009 at 9:37 am | Permalink

    Is Snoozy passive or the user?

    In my experience it seems that machines are never passive, however we (the user) tend to passively receive experience and information through our objects (television, mobile phones, computers etc.) as a matter of course. I find Snoozy both interesting and terrifying; I am interested in him technically but terrified at the prospect of climbing into bed with him.

    Craig.

  19. Craig Marshall
    June 1, 2009 at 9:41 am | Permalink

    Spooning Machine.

    http://www.kreeg.org/spoon.html

  20. June 4, 2009 at 12:10 pm | Permalink

    Hi, good post. I have been woondering about this issue,so thanks for posting. I’ll definitely be coming back to your site.

  21. June 15, 2009 at 8:57 pm | Permalink

    I think I will try to recommend this post to my friends and family, cuz it’s really helpful.

  22. July 13, 2009 at 2:37 pm | Permalink

    Justin – this is wonderful! amazing!

    i can’t get over how simple and intuitive this is. yet, its light years ahead of anything we think of in toys and play for children.

    check out my new website (i finally got it pulled together).

    so excited for you –

    take care and stay in touch!

    Tony

  23. September 10, 2009 at 12:14 pm | Permalink

    Not sure if this is useful for would-be snoozy constructors. You get a pump and solenoid valve for $7.50. Might have to put a couple of pumps in parallel to move air fast enough. 3v operation is pretty spiffy as well – lithium rechargeables anyone?

    https://www.surplusgizmos.com/Koge-3v-DC-Mini-Air-Pump-Solenoid-Valve-w-Metrodyne-SMD-Pressure-Sensor_p_1842.html

  24. Robin
    December 8, 2009 at 12:02 pm | Permalink

    Is Snoozy the sloth available for purchase? I have a special needs child who is unable to sleep without lying on top of someone…this would be a miracle!

  25. Emily Johnson
    February 5, 2010 at 11:48 am | Permalink

    The idea of this toy really excites me. I work with children with mental illnesses, and almost all of them have trouble:
    1. Sleeping
    2. Being unable to calm themselves once upset

    I think this could be a great therapeutic tool for them, as well as being a fun toy. Do you have a mailing list that I could subscribe to that would let me know when this might be available for purchase?

    Thank you!

76 Trackbacks

  1. May 18, 2009 at 2:06 pm

    [...] Snoozy the Sloth clings to you and sleeps. While this may sound easily done, the maker wanted the sloth to actually simulate breathing with exhaled breath to add to the realism. To do this, they had to build a “respiratory system” out of a rubber glove, a solenoid, and a couple pumps.  This kind of toy can be very beneficial to special needs children. The lifelike and calm behavior helps the child connect to the toy. The pumps and solenoid are said to not be too distracting, but we are curious just how loud they are. This seems well executed, and much more sloth like than slothra, another sloth toy from last week. Were these guys in an Arduino powered sloth making class together? [...]

  2. May 18, 2009 at 2:35 pm

    [...] Snoozy the Sloth clings to you and sleeps. While this may sound easily done, the maker wanted the sloth to actually simulate breathing with exhaled breath to add to the realism. To do this, they had to build a “respiratory system” out of a rubber glove, a solenoid, and a couple pumps.  This kind of toy can be very beneficial to special needs children. The lifelike and calm behavior helps the child connect to the toy. The pumps and solenoid are said to not be too distracting, but we are curious just how loud they are. This seems well executed, and much more sloth like than slothra, another sloth toy from last week. Were these guys in an Arduino powered sloth making class together? [...]

  3. [...] Thanks Justin Blinder [link] [...]

  4. [...] Blinder gave birth to “Snoozy the Sloth“, a stuffed toy that has a real diaphragm inside that allows it to breath, going so far as to [...]

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  10. [...] their innocent little minds can enjoy the doll without fear of, you know, horrible robot murder. [Official Site, Thanks [...]

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  13. [...] their innocent little minds can enjoy the doll without fear of, you know, horrible robot murder. [Official Site, Thanks [...]

  14. May 19, 2009 at 2:40 am

    [...] Snoozy the Sloth clings to you and sleeps. While this may sound easily done, the maker wanted the sloth to actually simulate breathing with exhaled breath to add to the realism. To do this, they had to build a “respiratory system” out of a rubber glove, a solenoid, and a couple pumps.  This kind of toy can be very beneficial to special needs children. The lifelike and calm behavior helps the child connect to the toy. The pumps and solenoid are said to not be too distracting, but we are curious just how loud they are. This seems well executed, and much more sloth like than slothra, another sloth toy from last week. Were these guys in an Arduino powered sloth making class together? Written by startme in: Hack A Day | [...]

  15. [...] Rafa M. Claudín [Snoozy the Sloth] [...]

  16. [...] their innocent little minds can enjoy the doll without fear of, you know, horrible robot murder. [Official Site, Thanks [...]

  17. [...] their innocent little minds can enjoy the doll without fear of, you know, horrible robot murder. [Official Site, Thanks [...]

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  19. [...] Snoozy the Sloth [...]

  20. [...] inside its tiny slothy guts allowing it to breathe gently as you hold it. Why would its creator, Justin Blinder, make such a thing? Perhaps he is commenting on the state of love in todays society or maybe he [...]

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  24. [...] — Rafa M. Claudín [Snoozy the Sloth] [...]

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  75. [...] this toy unique is that it actually breathes with you when you cuddle it. Blinder explains on his school webpage that "the main concept behind Snoozy is to create an intimate, yet passive, toy interaction [...]

  76. January 25, 2010 at 4:00 pm

    [...] @ StartTags Justin Blinder Snoozy the SlothSnoozy the Sloth is a plush toy with a respiratory system. He sleeps while clinging onto a user, [...]

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