How I developed a 0 - 1 digital pet companionship app can solve loneliness, allow people with allergies to have pets, and bridge the gap between virtual play and real-world connection
How I developed a 0 - 1 digital pet companionship app can solve loneliness, allow people with allergies to have pets, and bridge the gap between virtual play and real-world connection
How I developed a 0 - 1 digital pet companionship app can solve loneliness, allow people with allergies to have pets, and bridge the gap between virtual play and real-world connection
Team
2 Software Developers, 1 UX Designer
Date
January 2025 - May 2025
My Role
Project Manager
Lead Programmer
Product Designer
Industries
Entertainment, Social
Overview 📝
petsARus is an Augmented Reality (AR) entertainment platform inspired by classic virtual pet games like Nintendogs and Tamagotchi. The application allows users to spawn and interact with digital pets in their real-world environment using mobile devices.
We designed this app not just for entertainment, but to provide companionship for individuals facing loneliness, such as during quarantine, or for those unable to own real pets due to allergies or financial constraints. By leveraging AR, we aimed to create an immersive experience that lets users bring their pets anytime, anywhere. The application was built with Unity and Vuforia, and it uses Google's Speech-to-Text API to enable users to give their pets voice commands.
Watch the Demo 🎬
My Contributions🤝
As Project Manager, I directed the end-to-end development process. This involved establishing the project roadmap, conducting progress checks to ensure the team remained on schedule, and driving the team toward a successful final delivery. My specific contributions included:
Project Management & Version Control 💼
Core AR Implementation 🥽
Gameplay Programming 👨💻
Debugging 🪲
Problem❓
Many people desire the comfort and companionship that a pet provides, but face significant real-world barriers that make ownership impossible. This project aimed to solve these issues by creating an accessible digital alternative.
Project Management & Version Control 💼
Core AR Implementation 🥽
Gameplay Programming 👨💻
Debugging 🪲
💸
Financial and Logistical Barriers
Owning a real pet involves high costs, such as veterinary care, and can create logistical challenges like noise disturbances that affect neighbors.
💸
Financial and Logistical Barriers
Owning a real pet involves high costs, such as veterinary care, and can create logistical challenges like noise disturbances that affect neighbors.
💸
Financial and Logistical Barriers
Owning a real pet involves high costs, such as veterinary care, and can create logistical challenges like noise disturbances that affect neighbors.
🤧
Personal and Health Constraints
Many individuals are unable to own physical pets due to health issues, such as allergies, or personal circumstances, such as living in housing that prohibits animals due to noise disturbances.
🤧
Personal and Health Constraints
Many individuals are unable to own physical pets due to health issues, such as allergies, or personal circumstances, such as living in housing that prohibits animals due to noise disturbances.
🤧
Personal and Health Constraints
Many individuals are unable to own physical pets due to health issues, such as allergies, or personal circumstances, such as living in housing that prohibits animals due to noise disturbances.
🤗
The Need for Companionship
The emotional need for companionship is a powerful human driver. Research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that pet ownership played a significant role in reducing loneliness and supporting mental health during periods of isolation.
🤗
The Need for Companionship
The emotional need for companionship is a powerful human driver. Research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that pet ownership played a significant role in reducing loneliness and supporting mental health during periods of isolation.
🤗
The Need for Companionship
The emotional need for companionship is a powerful human driver. Research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that pet ownership played a significant role in reducing loneliness and supporting mental health during periods of isolation.
Approach 🎯
Our approach to developing petsARus was strategically guided by an understanding of the technology "hype cycle" and a focus on creating a viable, business-oriented product. Rather than forcing a utility concept where AR might not offer a clear advantage, we leaned into the technology's inherent strengths with the following principles:
Focus on Entertainment and Engagement
We centered our design on AR's immersive and visually engaging qualities to create a fun, entertainment-focused experience that provides genuine value to the user.
Foster Emotional Connection
A core part of our strategy was to design an experience that provides companionship and comfort, directly addressing feelings of loneliness that were especially prevalent during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Maintain a Business Mindset
Throughout the project, we consistently asked, "How do we make this app profitable?". This business-oriented approach informed our long-term vision, which includes features such as in-game currency and cosmetic customization, to create a sustainable and successful app.
Key Features 🧩
🕹️
Interactive Spawning
Users select a starter pet (Iguana, Pug, German Shepherd, or Deer) and spawn it on any flat surface detected by the phone’s camera.
🗣️
Voice Command Integration
🦴
Treats and Toys
❤️
Likeability Meter
🕹️
Interactive Spawning
Users select a starter pet (Iguana, Pug, German Shepherd, or Deer) and spawn it on any flat surface detected by the phone’s camera.
🗣️
Voice Command Integration
Using Google’s Speech-to-Text API, users can issue vocal commands like "sit," "wiggle tail," or "lie down" to trigger specific animations. Voice interaction creates a more immersive and personal connection, making the pet feel more responsive and lifelike.
🦴
Treats and Toys
Users can select items from a menu at the bottom of the screen to feed and play with their pet. This provides a direct and straightforward method for users to care for their pet and engage in playful interaction.
❤️
Likeability Meter
A five-heart meter provides visual feedback on the user's relationship with their pet, filling up as they interact positively. A confetti animation celebrates when the hearts are full. This gamified feature provides users with a clear sense of progression and rewards them for their continued engagement.
While this was a development project without a formal user study, we achieved several key outcomes that demonstrate its success and potential impact.
🤳🏻
Functional and Engaging Prototype
We successfully built a working AR application that delivers on the core promise of the project: allowing users to choose, spawn, and interact with a virtual pet in a fun and engaging way.
💰
Clear Path to Monetization
By designing with a business mindset, we created a product with a clear vision for future profitability, featuring in-game currency, cosmetic items, and a pet marketplace.
💪
Demonstrate Technical Competence
Our team successfully navigated and solved significant technical challenges, including implementing a new version control system and refining the AR pet placement mechanics, resulting in a stable project foundation.
✅
Potential for Positive Emotional Impact
The application is well-positioned to provide genuine companionship and comfort to users, directly addressing the core problems of loneliness and the barriers to real pet ownership.
🤳🏻
Functional and Engaging Prototype
We successfully built a working AR application that delivers on the core promise of the project: allowing users to choose, spawn, and interact with a virtual pet in a fun and engaging way.
💰
Clear Path to Monetization
By designing with a business mindset, we created a product with a clear vision for future profitability, featuring in-game currency, cosmetic items, and a pet marketplace.
💪
Demonstrate Technical Competence
Our team successfully navigated and solved significant technical challenges, including implementing a new version control system and refining the AR pet placement mechanics, resulting in a stable project foundation.
✅
Potential for Positive Emotional Impact
The application is well-positioned to provide genuine companionship and comfort to users, directly addressing the core problems of loneliness and the barriers to real pet ownership.
🤳🏻
Functional and Engaging Prototype
We successfully built a working AR application that delivers on the core promise of the project: allowing users to choose, spawn, and interact with a virtual pet in a fun and engaging way.
💰
Clear Path to Monetization
By designing with a business mindset, we created a product with a clear vision for future profitability, featuring in-game currency, cosmetic items, and a pet marketplace.
💪
Demonstrate Technical Competence
Our team successfully navigated and solved significant technical challenges, including implementing a new version control system and refining the AR pet placement mechanics, resulting in a stable project foundation.
✅
The application is well-positioned to provide genuine companionship and comfort to users, directly addressing the core problems of loneliness and the barriers to real pet ownership.
Potential for Positive Emotional Impact
What I learned 💭
This project was a significant learning experience in both technical development and team collaboration.
Team Collaboration 🫸🫷
I am very proud of the final product and our team's positive dynamic. We successfully combined our diverse skills in design, coding, and Unity development, and found that working together in real-time was incredibly effective for problem-solving.
Mastering Unity & Collaboration Tools 🛠️
The project offered a comprehensive exploration of programming in Unity and AR development. Our biggest technical takeaway was the critical importance of using the right tools for collaboration; moving to Unity Version Control was a game-changer that we will definitely use in future VR/AR/XR projects.
Future Roadmap 🔜
While the current build features placeholder menus for inventory and shops, our vision includes expanding petsARus into the Metaverse. Future updates would support multiplayer social interactions in a "virtual pet park" and an in-game economy for trading items and cosmetic customization.
Team Collaboration 🫸🫷
I am very proud of the final product and our team's positive dynamic. We successfully combined our diverse skills in design, coding, and Unity development, and found that working together in real-time was incredibly effective for problem-solving.
Mastering Unity & Collaboration Tools 🛠️
The project offered a comprehensive exploration of programming in Unity and AR development. Our biggest technical takeaway was the critical importance of using the right tools for collaboration; moving to Unity Version Control was a game-changer that we will definitely use in future VR/AR/XR projects.
Future Roadmap 🔜
While the current build features placeholder menus for inventory and shops, our vision includes expanding petsARus into the Metaverse. Future updates would support multiplayer social interactions in a "virtual pet park" and an in-game economy for trading items and cosmetic customization.
Team Collaboration 🫸🫷
I am very proud of the final product and our team's positive dynamic. We successfully combined our diverse skills in design, coding, and Unity development, and found that working together in real-time was incredibly effective for problem-solving.
Mastering Unity & Collaboration Tools 🛠️
The project offered a comprehensive exploration of programming in Unity and AR development. Our biggest technical takeaway was the critical importance of using the right tools for collaboration; moving to Unity Version Control was a game-changer that we will definitely use in future VR/AR/XR projects.
Future Roadmap 🔜
While the current build features placeholder menus for inventory and shops, our vision includes expanding petsARus into the Metaverse. Future updates would support multiplayer social interactions in a "virtual pet park" and an in-game economy for trading items and cosmetic customization.
