Make A Wish.
Make A Wish.
Make A Wish.
What if technology could sense your wish for someone you care about? Make a Wish is an interactive digital candle designed to celebrate others. When you blow on it, the flame softly fades and a burst of light appears, turning a simple gesture into a heartfelt way to send warmth and celebration to someone far away.
ESP32
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Blender Python scripting
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real-time shader control
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Blender
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Scope
Tangible Interaction
Role
Concept / Interaction / Visual / Motion Designer
Duration
2 weeks
Year
2025
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Concept
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Concept
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Concept
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A Breath, a Wish, a Light Across the Distance
A Breath, a Wish, a Light Across the Distance
This idea started from the simple birthday ritual of blowing out a candle and making a wish. I wanted to turn that moment into a digital experience that could still feel personal and meaningful, especially for someone far away. I explored how breath could act as both input and emotion, and how light could carry a message of care across distance.
This idea started from the simple birthday ritual of blowing out a candle and making a wish. I wanted to turn that moment into a digital experience that could still feel personal and meaningful, especially for someone far away. I explored how breath could act as both input and emotion, and how light could carry a message of care across distance.
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Process
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Process
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Process
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How I Built It
How I Built It
During prototyping, I explored both a microphone and a flex sensor to detect breath. The flex sensor responded to gentle bending in a more expressive, flame-like way, so I chose it to capture the feeling of blowing out a candle.
I designed the cake, candle and flame in Blender, using a soft, strawberry-shaped form inspired by my friend’s favorite fruit to add a personal, playful touch. Glow shaders and low lighting created a warm, intimate mood, while a particle burst animation visualized the moment of making a wish.
To connect the ESP32 board with Blender, I wrote a Python script that reads sensor data through a serial port and triggers animations in real time, allowing a simple physical gesture to bring the digital flame to life.
During prototyping, I explored both a microphone and a flex sensor to detect breath. The flex sensor responded to gentle bending in a more expressive, flame-like way, so I chose it to capture the feeling of blowing out a candle.
I designed the cake, candle and flame in Blender, using a soft, strawberry-shaped form inspired by my friend’s favorite fruit to add a personal, playful touch. Glow shaders and low lighting created a warm, intimate mood, while a particle burst animation visualized the moment of making a wish.
To connect the ESP32 board with Blender, I wrote a Python script that reads sensor data through a serial port and triggers animations in real time, allowing a simple physical gesture to bring the digital flame to life.
Flex Sensor
Flex Sensor
Microphone Sensor
Microphone Sensor
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Prototype
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Prototype
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Prototype
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Make a wish
Make a wish
The final prototype brings together physical sensors and digital visuals. A flex sensor detects the breath to extinguish the candle, while a potentiometer relights it, turning a birthday ritual into a poetic, interactive experience.
The final prototype brings together physical sensors and digital visuals. A flex sensor detects the breath to extinguish the candle, while a potentiometer relights it, turning a birthday ritual into a poetic, interactive experience.
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Reflection
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Reflection
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Reflection
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What I Learned
What I Learned
Through Make a Wish, I learned how physical sensors can bring emotional meaning to digital experiences. Connecting the flex sensor with Blender taught me how gesture, light, and animation can work together to express feeling in real time.
Next, I plan to make the interaction more immersive, adding sound, improved motion timing, and possibly expanding it into a web-based version so people can share wishes with others from afar.
Through Make a Wish, I learned how physical sensors can bring emotional meaning to digital experiences. Connecting the flex sensor with Blender taught me how gesture, light, and animation can work together to express feeling in real time.
Next, I plan to make the interaction more immersive, adding sound, improved motion timing, and possibly expanding it into a web-based version so people can share wishes with others from afar.
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