Design & Emotion Blog

It lets me say ‘I love you’ otherwise than through a measly text message

It lets me communicate otherwise than with words

All of a sudden, my Nabaztag starts flashing and sings “I JUST CAAAALLED TO SAAAY I LOOVE YOUUUU” It’s my boyfriend Nick sending me a song. He’s thinking of me! My heart just skipped a beat.

Some of the reasons that owners of this new lively wifi bunny give for loving it. And loved it is. Earlier this year Nabaztag was launched and prooved a big success. But, what is it?

Nabaztag, the first smart rabbit

A plastic box shaped like a rabbit, with pastel ears and facial features akin to Hello Kitty, it has a few flashing lights, a rudimentary speaker, one button and a name derived from the Armenian word for rabbit (unpronounceable and impossible to remember!)Nabaztag is a bunny that is connected to the Internet through a Wifi connection. It can receive messages and react by changing color, talking or moving. Especially the funny ears are a big “cute!” factor when they move.

Nabaztag moves or sings when you are sent a song by someone you know. Nabaztag tells you what the weather will be and starts shining when it will be sunny.

Functions:

• Incoming messages sent via the web, email, SMS, phone, spoken messages, MP3 music clips, Text-to-speech, rabbit-to-rabbit communication through ear movements.
• You can create your own Nabcast channels and broadcast them to other rabbits; API for programming and interfacing with other applications.
• Wake-up rabbit! Weather channel, traffic, Stock market, Air Quality, Talking Clock, email alert… Spoken-word information or musical Channels, New services added continuously…

Connecting to us

Nabaztag is not only connecting to the Internet or to other rabbits like him, but also to us and our feelings. This is another great example of a product that connects to people on an emotional level (like Tammagochi did). It has all the ingredients to evoke emotions:

• It has a face
• It reacts through movement, sound and color changes
• It has an appealing shape and character (Bunny!)
• It “translates” or “sends” emotions of other people, which makes us connect and gives the bunny the characteristics of that other person. It’s almost as if he is in the same room with you!: “Hey mah friend, why don’ta you come outta your burrrrow for a dreenk with-a your amici…” Nabaztag is talking in the raucous tones of your pal Umberto. He wriggles his ears, just like Umberto talks with his hands.

Also see the Herald Tribune.