Belly Rub Bulldog

Belly Rub Bulldog!

This is a gear-driven interactive toy designed to mimic a pet’s reaction to belly rubs. When you rub its belly, the internal mechanism moves the paws (or feet) up and down, simulating a playful response. The design is entirely mechanical, requiring no electronics, making it a fun and engaging print for makers of all skill levels. It can double up as a fidget toy as well!

How It Works

The toy operates using a simple gear-driven mechanism. As pressure is applied to the belly area, the movement is transferred to the limbs through a series of interconnected gears, creating a smooth, responsive motion. The design is optimized for printing without any supports and easy assembly. A gif clip is included to show the assembly process.

Print Details

• Recommended Material: PLA
• Layer Height: 0.16 or 0.20
• Supports: No
• Print Time: Estimated 4 to 5 hours as the parts are split into 3 plates in the Bambu studio project file

The model might be scaled up or down depending on printer capabilities though I have not tried it and don't know how it may affect the mechanism performance. I have tried to keep the model within a large mobile phone size dimension for easy handling. The face-plate is snap fit while the paws and feet are designed to be press fit but you can always use a small dap of super glue to keep the limbs from spinning if the tolerance on your prints are loose. 

*Take note when snapping joints together, apply pressure as close as possible on the joints so that you don't accidentally crack the paw or feet.

*A pointer to print the rack gear with the alphabets facing up as the smoother side sits on the back-plate as slides easier.

Feel free to print and share your results! Feedback and improvements are always welcome. I'll be adding more pet models but slowly as the mechanism defers on different models as requires redesigning the whole model.