Tue Oct 15 04:30:00 UTC 2024: ## Google Engineer Creates Lifelike “Ratatouille” Robot That Pulls Hair

A Google software engineer has created a lifelike robot version of Remy, the culinary-minded rat from the Pixar film “Ratatouille”, that can even pull strands of hair.

Christina Ernst, who runs the popular TikTok account “She Builds Robots,” revealed her latest creation, a motorized Remy that she built for Halloween. “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever made with my engineering degree,” she said in a video posted this week. “I wanted to make Remy from Ratatouille for Halloween, but motorized to actually pull hair.”

The robot, which features a 3D-printed rat with two sub-micro servo motors, can move its arms randomly, pulling hair strands thanks to a yarn test Ernst performed first. “I’m off to the races, puppeteering Ernst as she slices an onion,” she said, demonstrating the robot’s functionality.

The project has drawn praise from “Ratatouille” star Patton Oswalt, who voiced Remy in the original film. “Oh my God WOW are you KIDDING me,” Oswalt wrote on social media, adding “This. Is. BRILLIANT.” on Ernst’s Instagram share of the video.

Ernst describes her hobby as “fashioneering projects,” previously creating projects like a replica of Billy Porter’s mechanized fringe hat. She will also be featured on CBS’s STEM showcase “Unstoppable” hosted by Miranda Cosgrove.

This isn’t the first time “Ratatouille” has gone viral. In 2020, a “Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical” garnered significant online popularity, winning the People’s Voice award at the 2021 Webbys. The film has also inspired two video games, a Disney Paris attraction, and was prominently referenced in the Oscar-winning 2022 film “Everything Everywhere All At Once.”

Ernst’s creation highlights the creative and humorous ways that pop culture can inspire real-life engineering feats. This Halloween, expect to see more than a few Remy robots popping up, thanks to Ernst’s ingenious creation.

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