Trisha Andrew and Team Develop Innovative 'Smart' Toy to Study How Children Play
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For researchers interested in studying how children play, simply watching them can influence their behavior. To address this challenge, "smart" toys containing built-in sensors—like pressure sensors—are designed to help researchers track interaction. However, because the sensors are stiff and must be placed near the surface, most toys can only hold one or two. That means the data collected is limited and may not give a full picture of a child’s natural play patterns.
A new article from Hackster.io reports that researchers in WE Lab—the lab of Trisha Andrew, professor of chemistry in the College of Natural Sciences—have found a way to pack in more sensors "without taking the all-important squish out of a stuffed toy. Using a special type of sensor, they have made it possible to pack 24 pressure sensors into a small teddy bear." They call it FabToy.
"FabToy...uses fabric-based pressure sensors instead of traditional rigid ones. These sensors, made from a textile material coated with an ion-conductive polymer, are highly sensitive and can detect even the most subtle interactions. This allows FabToy to capture everything from a gentle tickle to a firm squeeze without altering the toy’s soft and huggable texture."
— Hackster.io
Click here to learn more at Hackster.io.