The USB-Powered FerroPet Uses FerroFluid, Lights, and Magnets to Entertain and Amaze

Designed for kids and adults alike, the ferrofluid "FerroPet" dances to internal or external magnets — and draws very little power.

Gareth Halfacree
3 years agoArt

Technology startup Jellyfish Fab has launched a crowdfunding campaign for the FerroPet, a ferrofluid "goo lamp" that "loves to dance and play" to lights and magnets.

"Ferrofluid, a captivating substance that is alien to the eye, hints at new liquid technologies of the future, while also providing a new form of aesthetic that is naturally appealing to the viewer," explains company co-founder Lucas Zeer. "This is why I fell in love with Ferrofluid many years ago, and started to explore ways to invigorate this material to breath life into its visual capabilities."

The FerroPet brings a dancing blob of ferrofluid to your desk — using USB power. (📹: Jellyfish Fab)

Based on ferrofluid experiments carried out for a YouTube channel, Zeer claims a breakthrough in being able to control ferrofluid — a liquid which is attracted to the poles of a magnet — in an energy-efficient way.

"Our FerroPet lamp is a USB powered multi-colour device with a dancing ferrofluid blob fixed in the center," Zeer explains of the commercialised result. "You can change the blob's colour and dancing style through an included remote control depending on your mood.

"Furthermore, you can play with external magnets to see how the magnetically polarized ferrofluid reacts to your external magnets. The device operates at only half a watt of power, so you can feel comfortable leaving it running without any problems with over heating, furthermore, our unique coating and plastic shell means its safe for kids to engage with and explore its behaviour around external magnets!"

The core concept is similar to a project showcased by maker Dakd Jung earlier this year — though simpler, relying on an integrated microcontroller and external magnets where Jung's ferrofluid reacted to music playing over Bluetooth.

Zeer and colleagues are funding production of the gadgets, expected to ship in September next year, through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign; physical rewards start at CA$19 for an unpowered FerroPet Cell or CA$79 for the USB-powered FerroPet Lamp (around $15 and $63 respectively).

Gareth Halfacree
Freelance journalist, technical author, hacker, tinkerer, erstwhile sysadmin. For hire: freelance@halfacree.co.uk.
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