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Gadget Freak
Gadget Freak Case #227: Wearable Computer Keeps Tabs on Fido & Kitty
10/5/2012

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The PCB has dedicated power and ground planes on each board. The electronics package, including batteries, fits into a cylinder 28mm (1.1 inches) in diameter and 23mm (0.9 inches) in length.
The PCB has dedicated power and ground planes on each board. The electronics package, including batteries, fits into a cylinder 28mm (1.1 inches) in diameter and 23mm (0.9 inches) in length.

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Cadman-LT
User Rank
Gold
Re: Successful product
Cadman-LT   10/8/2012 10:31:20 AM
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I couldn't tell, would it help you find a lost pet?

Rob Spiegel
User Rank
Blogger
Re: What a gadget!
Rob Spiegel   10/8/2012 12:46:08 PM
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That helps a good deal, Pete. I didn't realize cat collars had a breakaway function.

jhankwitz
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Successful product
jhankwitz   10/8/2012 12:54:49 PM
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It doesn't look like it.  I've use the 'Loc8tor' for keeping track of my cats and dogs.  It provides directional (arrows) as well as distance (sound) information up to about 600'.  The same company has other products that work from further distances, but not as precise.

JimT@Future-Product-Innovations
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Platinum
Re: Successful product
JimT@Future-Product-Innovations   10/8/2012 1:14:23 PM
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For tracking devices, the genre falls into LBS, or Location-Based-Services.  LBS devices generally have some type of transceiver (I've developed many; from GPS to WAN-cellular, to RFID and even ZigBee protocols), and then the big kicker: a significant battery for the transceiver.  All this adds up to a relatively larger volume than what is depicted in this device shown, which I liken more to a collection of sensory collectors.

gsmith120
User Rank
Platinum
Re: What a gadget!
gsmith120   10/8/2012 1:30:18 PM
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I agree cool project.  My Mom's cat will not wear a collar either.  My Dad use to put a collar with a bell on him but he always found a way to take it off.

Charles Murray
User Rank
Blogger
Re: Successful product
Charles Murray   10/8/2012 6:57:11 PM
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Pete, can we expect to see this as a commercial product any time soon? 

pete.cross
User Rank
Iron
Re: Successful product
pete.cross   10/9/2012 2:28:16 AM
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It's something I'd like to see developed into a product, and something I'd like to work on -- but I  don't have the resources to do it myself.  

At least the concept is out there for others to pick up on.  If anyone wants to develop this further, I am happy to help.

 

pete.cross
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Iron
Data Visualisation
pete.cross   10/9/2012 2:38:35 AM
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The PetInspect article can be downloaded with the link above by clicking on "Build Instructions", or here: http://downloads.deusm.com/designnews/20120926-build-instructions-with-source-code.pdf

My way of presenting the data in that article was quite boring.  I imagine there are better ways to express the sensory data than being limited to lines on a time-series graph.

Here is a kind of time-series pie chart that looks cool.  http://richworks.in/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/1110.jpg  In the case of PetInspect, each ring could represent a day, and each section of the ring, a type of activity level:  sleeping, mild activity, running around.

The graph in this next link includes the route of a cat as it moved about:  http://richworks.in/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/431.jpg

Here is a time-series data visualization tool that looks like a step in the right direction: https://github.com/mbostock/d3/wiki/Gallery

 

 



Rob Spiegel
User Rank
Blogger
Re: Data Visualisation
Rob Spiegel   10/16/2012 12:02:34 AM
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This additional information is very helpful, Pete. Thanks. Have you used this gadget often with your pets? What has your experience been like?

notarboca
User Rank
Gold
Re: Successful product
notarboca   10/17/2012 8:40:04 PM
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Have you considered a fundraising site such as Kickstarter?  Quite a few great concepts like yours have been brought into being through community donations.

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