Botties are the physical versions of app notifications
Swift Creatives unveils the prototypes of Botties, a series of wooden robots that nod and tilt their heads to let the users know they’ve received a notification. Named Beamer, Hover, and Bot, these small devices are made from Danish wood and offer another way to tell people about their digital notifications at home. Instead of making noise or flashing lights like smartphones or smart speakers, these wooden robots by Swift Creatives move quietly and use physical gestures to give alerts. Each of them has its own kind of movement: Beamer tilts its head on the sides, Bot bobs its head up and down and pushes its wooden ear in and out, and Hover rotates and stops at one point.
Each robot has a small body made from soaped or smoked oak wood, a material often used in Danish furniture and crafts. Inside each wooden form are sensors and small software systems that allow the mini robots to react to signals from connected devices. When a notification arrives, – say a message, a reminder, or even when the food delivery has arrived at the doorsteps – the Botties react by tilting their heads, nodding, or moving slightly, and this becomes a quiet form of communication that relies more on visual cues instead of sounds.
view of Beamer | all images courtesy of Swift Creatives
Wooden robots by swift creatives are made with 3D printing
The wooden robots named Botties were developed in the Danish design studio’s Innovation Lab. The project began with hand sketches and then moved to 3D printed prototypes before the team finalized the oak versions. The creative process helped them test how the robots could move, respond, and fit into real environments, as Innovation Lab focuses on making new technologies that feel practical and understandable rather than experimental or abstract. The three models differ slightly in height and proportion. Beamer is 153 millimeters tall, Bot is 164 millimeters tall, and Hover is 170 millimeters tall, yet their sizes are small enough to place on a desk, table, or shelf. The movement and behavior of each bot replace typical sounds and notifications with visible gestures.
For example, if a food delivery arrives or if an electric car is ready to drive, the robot can move or light up gently to show the update. This way, everyone at home can notice it without needing to check their phones. Lars Lynggard, Lead Designer at Swift Creatives, says that the project’s idea builds on Denmark’s design culture shaped by figures like Kay Bojesen, who’s known for wooden toys and crafted objects. These bots follow that same path but digitally with sensors and patterned movements. Each wooden robot by Swift Creatives comes with a compact wooden body, where small motion sensors detect signals, programmed motors create slight, natural gestures, and the electronic parts are hidden inside the bodies to keep the exterior polished and clean-looking. So far, there’s no news yet on when Swift Creatives plans to commercially release the wooden bots named Botties.
Bot bobs its head up and down and pushes its wooden ear in and out
Hover rotates and stops at one point
Swift Creatives unveils the prototypes of Botties, a series of moving wooden robots
these small devices are made from Danish wood
instead of making noise or flashing lights, these gadgets use physical gestures to give alerts
each robot has a small body made from soaped or smoked oak wood
they naturally blend at home, doubling as a decorative object
the sensors are hidden inside the bodies for a cleaner exterior look
view of Botties’ gestures
when a notification arrives, the Botties begin to move
project info:
name: Botties
studio: Swift Creatives | @swiftcreatives_portfolio
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