tags: [garmin, wearables, health, sideproject]
A virtual pet watchface for Garmin smartwatches that reacts to real health metrics. The creature thrives when you maintain good health habits and deteriorates if you neglect self-care.
The Concept
Garmin devices already track extensive health data - body battery, stress, sleep quality, steps, and heart rate - yet most users ignore these metrics until problems arise. Garmigotchi transforms this data into an engaging visual feedback system where a digital pet visibly reflects your health status.
How It Works
Mood System
The creature's emotional state maps to a grid based on body battery levels and stress measurements. Different moods have unique sprite animations: an ecstatic pet bounces energetically, while a sleepy one barely moves.
Neglect Points Mechanic
The system accumulates neglect points when health deteriorates:
- Critical battery drops: +1 point per hour
- Poor sleep scores: +2 points
- Sustained high stress (30+ minutes): +1 point
- Missed step goals: +0.5 to +1 point
Good health habits remove points. Reaching 16 points causes the creature to die and become a ghost until next month.
Evolution Stages
The pet progresses through five monthly stages: Egg (days 1-3), Blob (3-14), Pup (14-21), Mutt (21-31), and Elder (day 31+).
Technical Implementation
Built using MonkeyC - Garmin's proprietary language for resource-constrained hardware. The project includes 110+ pre-rendered sprites covering all mood and evolution combinations, with mood calculations running every minute.
Why It Works
Seeing my struggling pet actually makes me want to take a break. It transforms passive health tracking into active motivation.
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