Custom-Built TamaFi Virtual Pet Hunts for WiFi Signals

CiferTech created the TamaFi, an interesting little device that reminds you of those virtual pets from years ago, but with a high-tech twist. You don’t need to feed it or clean up after it in the normal way. Instead, the TamaFi’s main function in life is to search the air for WiFi networks, which it considers snacks.

When you switch the device on, a bright, joyful creature appears on the TamaFi’s display; it’s a round screen with 240 by 240 pixels, which should be more than enough to do the thig justice and make those animations look quite fluid. There are six buttons to play with, one on each side, and pressing one produces a satisfying soft click.

The TamaFi is powered by an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, which does all of the hard lifting, such as performing the fantastic animations and sniffing out WiFi networks. To add some fun, there are tiny, colorful LEDs along the sides that light up based on how the pet is feeling. It also has a built-in battery that should last for hours without needing to be recharged, and a convenient USB connector for charging.

Every few seconds, the pet decides what to do, whether to lounge around on the screen, rest quietly, or suddenly leap into life and begin searching for WiFi networks. The more time passes, the more hungry it becomes, yet each time it detects a WiFi network, whether open or concealed, it feels fuller and fatter. And when it discovers a new network, the pet becomes quite intrigued.

When your pet is allowed to roam freely in crowded locations with lots of activity, theri happiness levels rise. Health is stable as long as you take it to areas with a lot going on. If you leave the tiny guy sitting in a dead place for too long, you’ll notice indications of boredom creeping in, or worse, it’ll start to become sick – all while the screen keeps track of what’s going on. One screen displays its current stats, including hunger, happiness, health, age, and mood. Another one provides a real-time overview of what’s around it, including what networks it can see and how they’re hurting the poor creature. You can change a variety of parameters, including brightness, sound volume, and color scheme.

Your pet matures over time, starting out as a rudimentary creature with simple movements and responses. If you give it the right kind of attention, as well as plenty of signals to keep it happy, it will evolve into a more complicated creature with a variety of new behaviors. However, if you ignore the small guy, he will experience mood swings in which everything slows down. When its mood swings, you’ll see more complex behavior, such as when the furious pet began sending out little bursts of interference to all surrounding networks as a prank.
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