Thermo Leash
for HotDawg
The founder and owner of HotDawg, Jenna Terintino, came to us to redesign her idea for a IoT device that can help keep pets from burning their paws on hot pavement during walks.
Summer days can routinely reach the upper 80’s and sometimes even break 100°F. At that temperature, black tarmac can reach temperatures of 135°F to 141°F. This heat not only burns the paws of pets and animals it radiates up to the underside of small dogs causing them to overheat. The best way to protect pets from this danger is to avoid hot surfaces altogether.
Urban & Suburban areas with little to no grass or natural areas for walking pets specifically southern and southwestern regions.
Primary Users - Pet owners
Secondary Users - Service Animals, Dog Walkers, & Caretakers
Secondary Users - Service Animals, Dog Walkers, & Caretakers
There were two main aesthetic directions that seemed to be good fits. The first was a playful sporty feel that embraces bright colors, organic forms, heavy texturing, economic materials much more inline with the pet market.
The second was a more tech vibe that would be serious and sophisticated. This approach would favor muted color pallets, geometric forms, subtle texturing, and premium materials.
Temperature sensing technology falls mostly into two categories. Analog, where a probe is exposed to a temperature and you have to wait for it to absorb the heat. The other group is digital where current passing though a sensor tells the amount of heat present. However grouped into digital sensing is Infrared Radiation (IR) where a sensor measures the around of radiation present and turns that into a heat reading.
All things with a temperature greater than absolute 0 emit infrared radiation; IR thermometers simply measure this radiation and convert it into a temperature reading
It's important to leave no stone un-turned so even though the client had a good idea of how the technology could be implemented it was important to explore other use cases and options to see if there's a better way.
User mounted concepts center around the idea that the devise is connected directly to the user in order to ensure quick communication to the user but still be relatively simple and cheap to produce. The device could clip or hangs on the users’ belt or waistband of the person to ensure hands-free operation. Alternatively the device would be mounted on the pet but would require either a receiver or smart phone app to notify the user of danger. The sensor has to point down so it can’t be attached to an existing collar.
Leash mounted options could be implemented as a handle helping to hold the leash and provide constant information to the user. The device could be activated by pressing a trigger or squeezing the sides. This led to a concept that employs a modular system where the user can choose a fitting that best suits their lifestyle and dog walking routine.
The final concept utilizes an handle that includes a cinch to help hold the handle when the dog pulls. It also features an IR sensor array to ensure constant accurate readings during walking and moving.
