For my first Cuddlebit prototype, I’ve decided to build a model that will allow me to experiment with ears, since they are a frequently used communication tool in mammal species, but not often considered in interactions with humans. I started by making a frame with a profile that I felt would be able to model both the entire body of a small animal (rabbit) and the head of a larger animal (dog) depending on where ears are attached to it. Right now I have rabbit ears that are attached to the frame by a spring, which allows for relatively free movement controlled by a string attached to the tip of the ear. Currently, the ears can be pulled in any direction, but lack rotational control, which will be the next thing I work on.

I’ve also started trying to create other types of ears, in particular a model similar to a German Shepard’s upright and slightly folded ear. So far, I’ve been unable to create a model that is able to fold when back in the same way as the dog’s ears. The folding motion of rabbit like ears is less mechanically complex than in a German Shepard’s ears, so I plan to move forward with the rabbit like ears for now. Ideally the final model will be capable of accommodating all sorts of ear shapes in the future, so I may have time in the future to come back to this.