Introducing Moxie, the First-Ever Animate Companion
Now, more than ever, the impact of technology and design in the home has the potential to provide learning, wellness, and care through human-machine interaction and next generation computing. fuseproject is proud to announce the launch of Moxie, a revolutionary animate companion designed in partnership with Embodied, Inc. that promotes social, emotional, and cognitive learning for children across the ability spectrum—from neurotypical to neurodivergent—through play-based learning and interaction.
Alongside a world class team of experts in child development, engineering, technology, game design, and entertainment, our designers took special care in defining and balancing all of Moxie’s key features including its facial expression, overall shape, color palette, and exterior materiality to encourage prolonged interest and optimize fluid social interaction.
Our efforts were also focused on enveloping the complex engineering components and technology into Moxie’s frame—balancing its detailed form to inspire engagement and resonate specifically with children by looking closely at its proportions, color palette, facial expression, and playful qualities. All its expressive and endearing features—including the ears, head/playful projection tip, speakers, and arm/hand/finger details—come together to tell an otherworldly story about Moxie as a friendly companion from The Global Robotics Laboratory (G.R.L.) sent out as a robot ambassador with a mission to learn what it means to be a good friend to humans.
The fuseproject team designed the head with a slightly projected tip silhouette visible from the side profile. This gesture defines Moxie’s playful head shape, while also giving more character and life to its personality. Moxie’s uniform includes its signature profile tip (that also doubles as a helmet), gloves, and triangular badge on its chest.
Moxie’s ears are an opportunity for interaction and visually signify that the smart companion can hear. Children are able to whisper secrets and communicate with Moxie through its teardrop shaped ears on either side of its head. The ears, speaker, and microphone are the major components that allow Moxie to interact, they are designed to foster interaction while being based on Moxie’s internal component locations.
Our simple approach to Moxie’s hand is defined by a pointed index finger and thumb silhouette. While simpler than a fully articulated hand, it still effectively delivers visual cues for communication and playing games.
Moxie encourages curiosity so children discover the world and people around them. These activities evolve with continued progress, and help children learn and safely practice essential life skills such as turn taking, eye contact, active listening, emotion regulation, empathy, relationship management, and problem solving.
