When most people have a Halloween costume idea, they hope that they can salvage something in their closet, or pray that they can make it to a Spirit Halloween before the shelves are empty.
Christina Ernst, on the other hand, gets to work in her lab.
The 27-year-old Chicagoan, known on TikTok as @shebuildsrobotsShe’s a software engineer by day, and some sort of fashion-mad scientist by night. She creates what she calls ‘wearable technology’, which combines creative flair with technological ingenuity.
“I like things that are whimsical, things that look more magical than technical,” says Ernst. This year she was inspired to pay tribute to the 2007 Disney/Pixar film Ratatouillethe story of a culinary-minded rat who takes control of a hapless human and guides him around the kitchen by pulling his hair and moving his limbs like a puppet. To realize her real Remy, Ernst decided to create a fully functional animatronic of the lovable rodent chef, using her 3D printer, a few small motors, some clever coding, and a few helpful tips from her fans.
“I love making fun, wearable tech projects and with Halloween approaching I thought this was a great opportunity,” she explains. “Everyone knows it RatatouilleEven though it was a movie with no sequels and it came out over a decade ago now… it just has cultural staying power, you know? Not to mention, a rat controlling a human? I thought it would be a fun project.”
Ernst cataloged the progress of her project on her website and TikTok channel, where she has more than 82,000 followers. While it is often advisable to “not read the comments” if you are a social media personality, Ernst found her community helpful rather than disparaging. “In this case, this may be the most positive reception I’ve ever had for a video,” she says. “The responses were helpful and included some great suggestions,” such as coding the little robot rat to actually mirror her arm movements. Although she gets her fair share of trolls – most of whom claim she’s just “the face” of an invisible (and male) genius who actually does all the work – Ernst has found a way to keep them out of the picture.
“To me, the most meaningful comments are when people say, ‘I’m in high school and this convinced me to study engineering in college.’ That’s so rewarding. And that negates everything else.”
In fact, it brings Ernst back to where it all started. She described herself as a “math nerd” who grew up also enjoying making her own clothes (“That one has a lot more math than people realize: it’s all algebra and geometry!”). She attended a hackathon in college and showed off the first wearable technology project she ever created: a Bluetooth-enabled, light-up, color-changing dress. The response was immediate and surprising. “I was impressed by how many girls and young women came to the table and said, ‘I have absolutely no technical programming background, but I want to learn specifically so I can make this dress – can you teach me?’” says Ernst . “And that was a light bulb moment for me.”
Using now-accessible technology like 3D printers and laser cutters, which Ernst calls her “power tools,” she found the perfect way to combine her passion for creative expression with her desire to inspire more girls to pursue a career in science and pursue technology. Ernst also currently serves as the Chicago Public Library’s “Maker in Residence,” a temporary position where she teaches coding through the institution’s Maker Lab. She is also designing a wearable tech dress inspired by Chicago history that will be displayed in the library’s windows this holiday season. And in November, Ernst will appear in the CBS STEM-themed series Mission Unstoppable with Miranda Cosgrove, mentoring even more technically curious young women.
While Ernst still has a few “dream projects” in mind (for example, she admits she’d like to do a big annual tech look based on that year’s Met Gala theme), she won’t forget to put the finishing touches to Remy before October 31st. Especially when the voice of Remy herself, comedian and actor Patton Oswalt, has taken notice of her handiwork and posted his response to X.
“That was so unexpected! I never thought that this crazy little project would get so much attention,” says Ernst. “I’m sure people make Disney projects all the time, so the fact that he noticed this and was impressed, I was so honored!”