Pengu Buddy 動物健康追蹤系統 by Here Design Studio

Pengu Buddy 動物健康追蹤系統 by Here Design Studio is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award 鐵獎 in 社會設計 Competition Category.

鐵社會· 2025

Pengu Buddy 動物健康追蹤系統

by Here Design Studio

Client: Georgia Aquarium

A' Design Award 鐵獎 Winner in 社會 Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #163059

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Pengu Buddy 動物健康追蹤系統

Pengu Buddy係一套專為企鵝棲息地設計嘅動物健康追蹤系統。呢個系統結合咗一部水底機械人同一個手機應用程式。呢部機械人可以當企鵝嘅玩具,並透過遊客喺應用程式上操控嘅遊戲,鼓勵企鵝多啲活動。喺玩耍過程中,機械人會收集視覺同聲學數據,並將數據傳送到飼養員用嚟監察健康狀況嘅儀表板。呢個應用程式仲提供關於企鵝嘅教育內容,以及透過捐款同禮品支持保育工作嘅選項。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 鐵獎

Pengu Buddy 動物健康追蹤系統是 A' Design Award 鐵獎得主，這是授予滿足人們對設計精良的創作所期待的專業與工業要求的優良設計的聲望認可。鐵獎得主展現出其創作者的高超技藝、高度專業化、專家級的理解力和創造能力。預計Pengu Buddy 動物健康追蹤系統將成為一件備受推崇、令人欽佩且被珍愛的創作，既實用又創新。這件贏得 A' Design Award 鐵獎的設計整合了行業最佳實踐，並擁有與專業知識和才華相結合的稱職技術特性。Pengu Buddy 動物健康追蹤系統因其嚴謹而受到尊重，旨在提供有助於讓世界變得更美好的生活品質改善。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: PenguBuddy is an interactive health data tracking system combining technology and wildlife care. It features an underwater robot that acts as both a playful toy for penguins and a data collection tool for keepers. The companion mobile app lets visitors control the robot, enjoy immersive interactions, access educational content, and support conservation through donations and gifts. This innovative solution drives positive social impact in wildlife conservation and public engagement.
Dimensions & Packaging: The mobile app interface was designed with iOS guidelines. The underwater robot dimensions: Width 640 mm x Depth 120 mm x Height 500 mm
Tags: Animal Computer Interaction, Health Monitoring, Interactive Robot, Penguin Conservation, Education, Visitor Engagement, Mobile App
Production Technology: We used Figma and Adobe After Effects to design UI interfaces and also leveraged Rhino to create and render the underwater robot 3D model. Beyond that, we also tested some sensor hardware in the Georgia Institute of Technology ACI Lab.
Design Challenge: The central design challenge involved harmonizing penguin welfare with captivating visitor interaction, navigating obstacles such as robot durability, online data processing, and ethical animal engagement. Solutions prioritized two key areas: meticulous material testing and ethical design, ensuring robot safety and scientifically informed movement patterns for responsible monitoring. And user-centric interaction design, featuring an intuitive mobile application with gamification and educational content to transform visitors from passive observers to active participants in penguin welfare.
The first is the rigorous material testing and ethical design. The underwater robot materials were extensively tested for safety and durability. The movement patterns were carefully designed to mimic animals in the African penguin colony and were informed by research scientists to guarantee ethical monitoring practices.

On the other hand, we conducted user-centric interaction design. The mobile application prioritized intuitive controls, catering to a diverse user base. Gamification and educational content were integrated to foster active, empathetic engagement, transitioning visitors from passive observers to active participants in penguin welfare.
Research: This research involved multiple research approaches, including field study, 30 hours of observation, 8 interviews with keepers and visitors, and prototype testing with 12 participants. Observation helped us understand interactions between visitors, keepers, and penguins. Interviews revealed pain points and expectations. We explored existing health tracking technologies and developed core design concepts using environment enrichment, robot interaction, and AI data insights. User feedback from prototype testing guided our design improvements.
Inspiration: Zoo animals, including penguins, often experience mood and behavior changes due to environmental and habitual shifts, leading to depression, reduced appetite, and decreased activity. However, the existing technology lacks effective data tracking for individual penguins.

The design solution draws inspiration from penguins' natural play behaviors and environmental enrichment strategies. By leveraging interactive robotic technology, we created a system that tracks penguin activity data and fosters engaging interactions between penguins and humans.
Project Duration: The project started in January 2023 and completed concept phase on February 2024 in Atlanta.
Operation Flow: This project connects penguins, visitors, and keepers through an interactive system. Visitors control the robot via the app, creating playful interactions with penguins. The robot collects visual and acoustic data about penguins' activity and sends it to the keeper's dashboard for health monitoring. The app further enriches the visitor experience through educational content and conservation content, facilitating a meaningful connection between human interaction and scientific observation.
Patents: N/A
Team Members: UX Designer: Yuwei Li
UI Designer: Xinyue Ren, Yuchuan Yu
Industrial Designer: Han Huang, Youyang Hao
Image Credits: Melody Moore Jackson, Georgia Tech ACI Lab