Artificial Intelligence Pets Take New Form: US Students Create Tactile AI Companion, Dubbed a Virtual Dragon
At Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), a team of students has developed an innovative AI pet prototype named Luceal. This groundbreaking project integrates virtual reality with physical world interactions, creating a plush animal embedded with sensors that respond to touch, similar to a game controller.
Luceal, a product of the Physical Presence Pet (PPP) project, was initially proposed by CMU graduate student Brian He. The prototype, which costs less than $500 to produce, allows users to interact with Luceal through both physical touch and virtual reality environments, merging tactile real-world experience with immersive digital interaction.
The plush animal is equipped with sensors in different sections, enabling responsive interactions that enhance the feeling of presence within virtual reality. This design leverages affordable hardware to create a seamless physical-to-virtual interface, focusing on making the interaction natural and engaging for the user.
Joy Lim, a member of the PPP team, was inspired to work on Luceal as a substitute for the pet she couldn't bring with her to campus. Lim, who grew up with various animals, found Luceal an appealing solution as an international student who couldn't bring her pet everywhere she went.
The team used conductive fabrics, yarns, and threads to create custom soft sensors that could be seamlessly integrated into the stuffed animal form. They also utilised Apple Vision Pro VR headsets from CMU's department and custom textile sensors and animated designs guided by IDeATe Soft Technologies professor, Olivia Robinson.
Paige Li, a tech artist on the Luceal team, encountered visual discrepancies between her computer and Apple Vision Pro VR headset, necessitating workarounds to ensure visual effects. Sophie Huang, a designer on the Luceal team, has created different skins for the plush animal to enhance user experience, allowing users to change the appearance of the animal.
Brian He, another member of the Luceal team, drew inspiration for the project from Tamagotchi, a popular handheld digital pet created in the 1990s. He envisioned Luceal as a way to have exotic pets like seals or dragons that are not commonly available or difficult to maintain.
The team plans to attend the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco next year and will be showcasing Luceal at SIGGRAPH, a conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques. Luceal's innovative design reimagines what a pet can be and opens the door to a future where emotion, technology, and touch seamlessly converge.
Science and technology have playing crucial roles in the development of Luceal, an innovative AI pet prototype designed by a team of students at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Luceal, a product of the Physical Presence Pet (PPP) project, merges tactile real-world experiences with immersive digital interactions, offering a seamless physical-to-virtual interface (science and technology).The project's innovation extends beyond virtual reality, as it draws inspiration from earlier technologies like Tamagotchi (technology) to push the boundaries of what a pet can be in today's digital lifestyle (technology and lifestyle).In the future, amidst the convergence of emotion, technology, and touch, Luceal could pave the way for pet ownership in forms never before imagined (innovation and lifestyle). Furthermore, the team's work in creating responsive plush animals, such as Luceal, could have significant implications in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence (science and technology).
