BAD KITTY
Bad Kitty!
Bad Kitty! is an interactive object that tells the story of an overweight cat responding to being sprayed for his greed.
Solo Designer
Role
Arduino, Fusion360, 3D Printing
Tools Used
Jan - Feb 2026
Timeline
Interaction becomes memorable when it sparks emotion and curiosity.
Project Outline
The purpose of this project was to design an object which responds in a compelling, interesting, and emotionally evocative way to a user interaction. The object must be of a scale large enough to fit in a user's hands and roughly no larger than a shoebox. This device should focus on a single input and single output with the entire experience lasting less than a minute.
Project Story
Bad Kitty! is inspired by the classic punishment of spraying a misbehaving cat. A can of cat food at the base of the tower hints at the narrative of the interaction: the cat's greed leads to punishment by spray bottle, and his attempt to flee up the scratching post. The cat is overweight from his greed, forcing him to slide back down the pole and towards the food.
Interaction
Humor and tension are encapsulated in this simple interaction. Triggering the spray bottle scares the cat into fleeing up the scratching post. The interactive experience passively resets as the cat slides back down the pole when he's not actively being sprayed.
Ideations
I began by exploring various interactions that evoke emotion.
Final Concept Direction
The concept direction I chose to continue forward with was Bad Kitty! It features spraying a naughty cat with a spray bottle, causing him to scurry up a cat tower.
Electronics
I created a diagram of the electronic components that would be implemented in the final prototype. The components included a Sparkfun Redboard, a microswitch, a stepper motor, a motor shield, two pulley wheels, a timing belt, and some neodymium magnets.
Initial Breadboard Model
I created my initial breadboard model using a DC motor and buttons to control the cat. I later refined the model's accuracy by opting to use a microswitch in the spray bottle rather than buttons to activate the cat's movement. I also replaced the DC motor with a stepper motor to control its movement up and down the tower more precisely.
Physical Parts
The model consisted of three main parts: the outer housing cover, the inside pulley mechanism, and the spray bottle. The outer housing cover was designed to be removable so that the electronic components can be accessed.
Video Demo
A microswitch within the spray bottle activates a stepper motor at the base of the pole. The motor controls a pulley with a magnet attachment, which guides the cat up the pole.
Placard
Our experiences were featured at a live hands-off demo where people were invited to come and play with our interactive objects. I created a placard to provide instruction on how to interact with the experience.
Final Design
Additional Images
