Bully the Bird was developed as part of an exercise in the Soft Devices platform, where we experimented with integrating sensors into textile-based forms. The project explores how soft, handcrafted materials can become responsive interfaces, bridging craft, play and embedded technology.
Bully the Bird was created using a combination of crochet and wet felting, transforming soft yarn into a tactile, suspended nest. Conductive thread was woven into the base to form a hidden capacitive sensor, while the “rocks” were wrapped in conductive fabric to interact with the nest. This careful layering of textile craft and embedded sensing allowed the nest to become a responsive, playful environment, where materiality and technology are seamlessly intertwined.
Nature as Playful Inspiration
The project draws inspiration from the hanging bird’s nest, a form that is both delicate and purposeful. Nests are intimate constructions, carefully woven to protect and nurture life, yet they remain lightweight, suspended, and open to the elements. Their irregular, intricate structures invite close observation, where each twig, fibre, and hollow carries a sense of care, intention, and hidden life.
We imagined the nest not as a static object, but as a space for playful engagement. Players toss conductive “rocks” into the nest, provoking sonic responses that escalate with each addition. The interaction is mischievous, experimental and tactile, offering moments of surprise and delight, while the nest’s intricate form reinforces awareness of care and complexity.
Play in Action
When the “rocks” touch the nest, the capacitive sensor detects changes and translates them into sound. As more rocks accumulate, the auditory output intensifies, creating the sense of a bird becoming progressively agitated.
Bully the Bird transforms a delicate, handcrafted form into a game-like encounter, where mischief, materiality, and interactive sensing come together to encourage exploration, experimentation, and delight.
