Simone Giertz is a name that rings a bell to many. She's a Swedish inventor with a love of robots and robotics, meaning that she's created some very cool things in her time. She's also quite popular on YouTube, especially since she often showcases her most recent projects.
The latest is big for anyone who loves dogs — which is most of us. Simone has an adorable pup named Scraps, and she was trying to think up clever ways to get Scraps to take better photos. It can be tough with dogs. Even grumpy dogs can create cute photos, but they can be hard to direct. Even harder to create is a dog selfie. And that's because dogs can't work a camera very well.
Until now. Simone has created an invention that gives Scraps more control of her own images.
"I don't think there's a way for dogs to take photos of themselves without human hands," she said in a video. "So I'm building a fully automated photo booth for Scraps. She goes in there, there's a little pedal that she can hit with her paw, it triggers a camera, it triggers a treat dispenser," she said. "She gets a treat, I get a photo, everybody's happy." What could go wrong? It's the invention every dog owner didn't know they needed.
Aside from the invention itself, it's also pretty cute hearing about how Simone chose to create such a project. Obviously, she loves dog photos. But there was more to it than that. "I was trying to teach Scraps to scroll on my phone with her paw — and I was trying to get her to take a photo of herself," she said.
However, dogs aren't built like humans — a fact Simone knows but only truly realized while creating this experiment. "Her paws are just not that accurate," she said. "But if there was a physical button, I think she could do it." In general, dogs are pretty easy to train in comparison to other animals. So Simone knew it wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
Lego fanatics will love the fact that she created such a masterpiece using Lego blocks. Sometimes, when you try to construct something this magical, Legos are all you need to make it happen. Thousands were part of the dog selfie stand, which gave the project a great boost of color.
Lego also helped sponsor the project, likely because the brand knew that someone like Simone could find even better ways to build with its product. It's a safe bet that nobody at the corporate office ever thought to incorporate the popular toy with something so innovative as a dog selfie booth.
Simone shot her video in her new workshop in Los Angeles. And this was one of her first projects using the space. She's still in the midst of setting everything up, but she gave her viewers a grand tour before showcasing the dog selfie booth. "This is the first time I own a place where I can build things," she exclaimed.
Scraps, whom Simone called "such a good workshop dog," was by her side the whole time. She likely had no idea that the project of the day would be focused all around her. But the good news is that Simone decorated the selfie booth to be appealing to all dogs, meaning that this may actually be something you'll want to try to create at home.
That said, Simone is a professional. Well, technically. Back in college, she studied engineering physics. Even though she dropped out, her love of creating things never went away. She has a charm while building her inventions, and knows that she, as an individual, is unlike most other inventors.
For one, she's incredibly humble. She once gave herself the title of "the queen of sh*tty robots," even though her fan base may disagree. But they love to see the strange things she comes up with. Usually, part of her schtick is that she's fully aware that her inventions may serve no real purpose. They're just fun.
Having such a quirky personality helped her gain some media attention. In 2018, she helped create a robot to promote season two of HBO's Westworld. As a fan of the show, Simone admitted that her final project was actually somewhat horrific. HBO even sponsored the video of the robot being made, which Simone knew was a big deal.
Her goal was to build a robot that looked like herself and send it to HBO. She got her start by using a "medical doll of some sort." The video, as expected, got her even more media attention. It's really hard not to enjoy Simone's videos, even if robots aren't your thing.
But back to the dog selfie booth. After Simone set up the actual booth, she started working on the treat dispenser aspect of it. This is the part that dogs will likely enjoy the most. By hitting the pedal, the treat dispenser activates, which then triggers the camera. "I gotta admit, there's part of me that just doesn't want the project to end," Simone said. "I'm having a good time."
She even included a curtain for added effect. Scraps had no trouble entering the booth and needed only brief instructions on how to operate it. When treats are involved, and dogs are able to control their frequency, it's bound to be a lot of fun.
But it's more exciting to think about all of the other projects that Simone has in her head. One of the most endearing things about her is that she's never afraid to go for something and give it a try. Even if it's a ridiculous idea, she's here to prove that creating new inventions can be a lot of fun and include a ton of trial and error.
This isn't just all for Simone. She's also becoming a popular entertainer outside of YouTube. Just this year, she lent her voice to Adventure Time: Distant Lands. Since most of her other projects included her hosting or serving as a guest star, going into the world of acting is a big step forward. No matter what she does next, her fans will follow.
