Brief
PitPat is an activity monitor worn on a dog’s collar that connects via Bluetooth to an app. The app gives the dog a tailored exercise goal based on age, weight and breed and tracks daily activity against the goal.
The brief was to upgrade an existing PitPat.
The client wanted something that would wear better than the previous model. They also wanted it upgraded from a basic to a premium product: to be smaller, more stylish and more robust. Additional functionality to measure distance as well as activity was also required.
The principle challenges were:
- How to make it more compact.
- How to assemble it without additional small parts.
- Achieving the level of waterproofing required.
Solution
The manufactured product consists of three very small mouldings, together measuring just 30 x 33 x 15 mm at their largest points.
Two are joined permanently with a methacrylate adhesive. They consist of boxes within boxes with the inner boxes being stuck together so the join is not visible. Instead there is a styling groove. The preferred method for achieving a hermetic seal had been sonic welding but it was found to damage the electronics. The third moulding is a circular coin operated battery cover that revolves into place.
The device includes a redesigned PitPat logo based on a dog's paw with the paw pads picked out in an orange thermoplastic polyester elastomer.
The logo acts as the switch. The casing is textured with a pattern in the shape of tiny bones with a matt finish.
In addition to designing the casework, PDD also provided input to the electronics. They assisted in the layout of the printed circuit board. Components were positioned so as to minimize the board height in tight areas of the casework and avoid overlap with the printed Bluetooth antennae (which would otherwise create interference). The light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were also arranged so as to illuminate the orange thermoplastic polyester elastomer when activated. They also helped select the tactile switch unit and assisted in the design of the custom battery contact. It is essential that it maintains contact with the battery even when violently shaken to ensure that the printed circuit board remains active and loses no data.
Key insights:
- Dog owners do not know how much exercise their pet should be getting but want to keep their pet healthy.
- Existing devices that enable activity monitoring included GPS requiring frequent charging or battery changes which increases complexity and leads to frustration.
- The requirement for as small and lightweight product as possible in order not to hinder the dog’s activity.
Innovatory features:
- The device does not contain a GPS module so can last 1 year on a single Coincell battery.
- It is smaller and lighter than any similar product.
- The data that is gathered from use of the device is provided to select partners to assist in their development of new products such as more nutritional dog foods.