Creating an Animal Companion
Belle asked Make-A-Wish Colorado to make the impossible possible – in the form of a pet dragon. Arrow collaborated with the nonprofit to grant Belle’s wish, working with technology innovators and suppliers to build a dynamic, semi-autonomous social robot in the form of the mythical creature Belle imagined.
Arrow engineers brainstormed with Belle about how her dragon should look, feel, sound, move and behave. Robot innovator Caleb Chung and his team handled prototyping while Arrow coordinated with its vast supply network – especially Analog Devices Inc. – to provide the electronics and other components needed to make it work. The result is a robot that mimics a live pet, capable of meaningful connection and engagement.
Belle's Dragon
Meet Belle
In many ways, Belle is like any other teenager. She likes reading, playing video games, and spending time with her friends and family. Belle is especially fond of fantasy books, especially tales of dragons and faraway places.
And like other kids her age, Belle has challenges — the challenges of growing up, tough homework assignments, and so on. But one obstacle that Belle faces isn’t typical at all: Belle is living with cancer.
A girl with a wish
More than anything, Belle wants a pet. But a live pet isn’t an option because of the health issues they can pose to Belle and her family. Plus, Belle doesn’t want just any pet; she wants a pet dragon so she can share her love for the mythical animal with her friends and family.
Sound impossible?
It isn’t.
Together with Make-A-Wish Colorado, Arrow set out to build a dragon for Belle that would interact with her much the way a live pet would, but without posing risk.
How it Works
Covered in scaly, reptilian “skin,” Belle’s dragon is about the same size as a small dog and moves fluidly. Thanks to sensors embedded all over its body, it can coo or flap its colorful, illuminated wings in response to Belle’s touch. The dragon changes expressions. It tires if overstimulated and shows displeasure towards certain foods.
Belle’s dragon addresses the isolation and loneliness that is common among people dealing with serious medical conditions – concerns magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s ability to interact provides Belle with critical emotional support, demonstrating how technology can enrich our lives. This platform could be modified to take other forms and programmed to perform other tasks – wake-ups, reminders and communications – to widen its applications and audiences.
Arrow and Analog Devices
Like any successful project, the right partners are crucial. Arrow worked with Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) to find the cutting-edge products that could help bring the dragon to life. Using ADI components, Belle’s dragon reacts to its environment, detects its orientation in space and changes in temperature. The dragon responds to touch, gets “tired” from a busy day, and gets excited when Belle offers one of its favorite treats.
Arrow and ADI worked with robotics innovator Caleb Chung to design and build the dragon. And in any fantasy story, there must be a journey of discovery. Emerge Studios built a virtual reality experience where Belle can see dragons live for herself and meet her own dragon for the first time — in a safe and engaging way.
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ADI Components
Shop ADXL363
ADI accelerometer and temperature sensor with a built-in ADC for synchronous data conversion
Shop ADP5350
ADI power management IC to ensure the dragon has clean power
Shop ADAU1462
ADI audio processor to help manage the dragon’s audio capabilities
Shop LTC2875
ADI transceiver to help with motor control
Shop LTC6810-1
ADI battery-monitoring IC
Shop SSM3582A
ADI audio amplifier — because who’s ever heard of a quiet dragon?
Shop ADUX1020
ADI photometric sensor to help the dragon interpret and respond to its surroundings
Shop CY8CPROTO-062-4343W
Cypress PSoC6 that serves as the main processing center of the dragon
A Dragon Body Suit
This close-up image shows the dragon’s hide in high definition. The scales were produced at Boise State University using a large-scale 3D printer. They are attached to a stretchy fabric that pulls over the dragon’s hard plastic body like a compression stocking and moves fluidly with the dragon.
Granting Belle’s Wish
Belle Cress, age 14, met her dragon in late March 2021. She named her dragon “Dusk” because the purple and pink scales reminded her of the colors in the Colorado sky at twilight. The dragon has electronic sensors located in its “skin” and is programmed to respond to her touch with animal-like behaviors.
Window to the Dragon’s Soul
The dragon’s eye is fashioned from thin layers of plastic that were hand-painted to convey the deeper expressions of a live pet. The eyelid motions are controlled by tiny motors in the head and programmed animations.
Taking Flight
The membranes of the dragon’s wings are made from layers of coated paper. Inspired by butterfly wings, they are translucent and glow in natural light. The wings are fundamental to the robot’s “dragon-ness.” They have a wide range of movement that is synchronized with other elements to express programmed behaviors, gestures, reactions, and emotions. This is accomplished with a dense network of cables, wires, motors, and sensors connected to a mixed-signal microcontroller that is linked to the main controller board.
Dragon Builder
For 18 months, Arrow engineering services project manager Victoria Bohannon-Pea oversaw the dragon’s day to day development, synchronizing the remote work of many participating companies across time zones and international borders.
Belle reviewing concepts from the ideation session
Belle and dragon engineer, Victoria, at the reveal party
Belle and the team going over dragon ideation and design plans
A wish come true
Belle’s dragon is so much more than a toy. It is a companion and a friend. It is truly a wish come true.
Belle’s dragon offers a technological solution to those in search of companionship and compassion, the young and old alike.
Through companies like Arrow and ADI, technology opens doors previously thought locked. Working Five Years Out, what’s possible becomes practical.
