Robots & IoT 2025 In Progress

Peerbots Soft Robot Backpack

A mass-manufacturable soft robot stuffed animal backpack designed to hold smartphones and tablets as a face for social human-robot interaction.

Soft RoboticsHRIDesignManufacturingSocial RobotPeerbotsNeurodiversity

Overview

A custom soft robot body in the form of a stuffed animal backpack, designed by Peerbots to serve as a wearable social robot platform. The backpack holds a smartphone or tablet as the robot’s “face,” enabling expressive social human-robot interaction for neurodiversity support applications — at a price point that can be mass-manufactured and widely distributed.

My Role

Lead designer and developer at Peerbots 501(c)(3), where I serve as General Secretary and CTO.

Key Features

  • Soft, safe, and huggable form factor suitable for children
  • Holds standard smartphones/tablets as an expressive face display
  • Mass-manufacturable design for broad accessibility
  • Designed specifically for neurodiversity support contexts
  • Part of Peerbots’ broader mission of software for supporting neurodiversity