Boogli founder Todd Rice has 20 years of experience in the digital space. Along with user interface designer Greg Bosque, he set out to explore the possibilities of melding digital design with hardware products like this one.
Beyond its charging capabilities, Boogli can function as a night light and alarm clock. The accompanying app can also function as a music player. If you dock your phone into the monster’s outstretched arms, its animated mouth will appear on your screen and lip sync along with your music.
“Creating something simple is never easy. There were so many directions that we could go in (and will), but we had to narrow it down to what this system would really be,” the company wrote on the Boogli homepage.
Bluetooth functionality enables your monster to light up when it senses your phone in its presence, which can be helpful. For example, if you walk into a dark room with your phone in your pocket, it will light up.
Boogli can repeat what you say and react to movement. The alarm clock, sounds, and other functions are customizable.
A variety of monsters will be available, each with its own sounds and personalities. To give the monsters a voice, sound designer Steve Bissinger Googled a list of emotions, then had a vocal actor record them with improvised monster sounds. Different sounds for the alarm, powering up, and powering down were also recorded.
Partnered with a team that includes Frédérick Alves-Cunha, an artist who worked on Despicable Me, Saforian has created a functioning prototype. As preproduction kicks into gear, the company is preparing to launch a Kickstarter campaign.
