{"id":1427,"date":"2020-11-27T10:36:53","date_gmt":"2020-11-27T10:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/?p=1329707"},"modified":"2020-11-27T10:36:53","modified_gmt":"2020-11-27T10:36:53","slug":"how-do-you-build-a-pet-friendly-gadget-we-asked-experts-and-animal-owners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=1427","title":{"rendered":"How do you build a pet-friendly gadget? We asked experts and animal owners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The rise of smart home gadgets has sometimes forgotten a very important family member, one with tendencies that differ significantly from the humans of the house: our pets.<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s not always been plain sailing. While our fuzzy friends may seem cute and cuddly on the surface, in the ongoing battle between nature and technology, we all know who really rules the household.<\/p>\n<p>Many gadgets have tried to come out on top \u2014 and many have failed. From cats who don\u2019t give a damn about your deadline:<\/p>\n<p>To pugs who are seriously unamused by the new sound box you\u2019ve brought into their domain.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/G2j4d3Bw10g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This is a challenge many manufactures have missed: building a great smart home gadget isn\u2019t just about understanding the needs of your customers, it\u2019s also about understanding the needs of their pets. So, how do you go about achieving this?<\/p>\n<p>We put this to Andy Knight, Head of Global Brand at Roborock. He explained that when building the updated version of their robot vacuum \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3nOirqI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Roborock S6 MaxV<\/a> \u2014 they faced this problem. As people with big home cleaning needs, pet owners were a huge potential market for them.<\/p>\n<p>While taking care of the continuous and never ending amounts of fluff would solve a big problem for this demographic, the Roborock team soon realized that deeper research into pet owners\u2019 biggest challenges would be needed to truly win them over in the increasingly competitive robovac market.<\/p>\n<p>And just what are those pains? We spoke to pet owners to find out.<\/p>\n<h2>Arianka, the shed master<\/h2>\n<p>If you own a pet, having to vacuum two or even three times a week becomes normal practice. But, if you have a particularly fuzzy friend, you may need to do this even more often.<\/p>\n<p>Patty \u2014 the owner of high energy German Shepherd, Arianka \u2014 told us that her house is continuously fur-coated, even when she\u2019s vacuuming regularly.<\/p>\n<p>Dropping clean laundry on the floor, even for a second, means you\u2019ll get back a bunch of items that look like mohair sweaters. Doing yoga isn\u2019t an option anymore as even laying on a mat will leave you swiftly covered in dog hairs.<\/p>\n<p>But trusting a robovac to get the job done isn\u2019t always an option either. As Knight explained, \u201cA lot of early robots used to get tangled up with pet hair and stop moving.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-featured_img wp-image-1329718 lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/11\/Roborock-S6-MaxV-pet-friendly-robovac-796x418.jpg\" alt=\"Roborock S6 MaxV pet-friendly robovac\" width=\"796\" height=\"418\" sizes=\"(max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/11\/Roborock-S6-MaxV-pet-friendly-robovac-796x418.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/11\/Roborock-S6-MaxV-pet-friendly-robovac-280x147.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/11\/Roborock-S6-MaxV-pet-friendly-robovac-514x270.jpg 514w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/11\/Roborock-S6-MaxV-pet-friendly-robovac-257x135.jpg 257w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/11\/Roborock-S6-MaxV-pet-friendly-robovac.jpg 1200w\"><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/plugged\/2020\/11\/27\/build-pet-friendly-gadget-experts-animal-owners-design\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenextweb.com%2Fplugged%2F2020%2F11%2F27%2Fbuild-pet-friendly-gadget-experts-animal-owners-design%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The Roborock S6 MaxV.\" data-title=\"Share The Roborock S6 MaxV. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The Roborock S6 MaxV. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>The Roborock S6 MaxV.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Solution: Use your team as test subjects<\/h2>\n<p>Luckily, Knight\u2019s team at Roborock is full of pet owners who not only understand the pains users face, but actually live with similar issues too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m a pet owner myself (the proud owner of cats), and a lot of our R&amp;D team are too, including different breeds of cats, dogs, and other types of animals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This gave them the perfect user testing opportunity. After using the Roborock in their own homes, \u201cour engineers figured out a way to build tangle free rollers that push hair to the side, ensuring it doesn\u2019t get jammed up and making it easier to remove after cleaning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s not just fluff.<\/p>\n<p>The team realized they needed to make the suction strong enough to pick up different types of pet hair and also other things pets might leave behind like kibble, litter, and dirt they\u2019ve tracked in from outside. As a result, the updated version of Roborock\u2019s product has 25% more suction power.<\/p>\n<p>They also built an option for users to target specific rooms which may need more regular cleaning than others. While your pet may spend little time in your dining room, living rooms, and doorways may need an extra cleaning every few days.<\/p>\n<h2>The \u2018pootastrophe\u2019 of 2016<\/h2>\n<p>So you\u2019ve built a product that can meet the defurring needs of many pet owners \u2014 but hair isn\u2019t the only thing animals leave behind.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s talk about the \u2018pooptastrophe.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>In 2016, one unlucky pet owner witnessed an incident involving a Roomba and a \u2018gift\u2019 left behind by his new puppy. We don\u2019t need to tell you it wasn\u2019t a pretty sight.<\/p>\n<p>In the morning, he awoke to horror: a poop-smeared living area enabled by a robovac. As you can imagine, the \u2018incident\u2019 went viral and turned a lot of pet owners off the idea of robovacs for some time.<\/p>\n<h2>Solution: Build for the unexpected<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWe try to make life easy for our users so they can do more of the things they want to do. But it soon became quite obvious that pet owners were more reluctant to use robots that are doing things around the house when they\u2019re not there because pets do things that are unexpected,\u201d Knight explained.<\/p>\n<p>To reassure pet owners, the Roborock team built a ReactiveAI technology into the new machine that\u2019s able to detect, identify, and avoid different obstacles\u2026 including pet presents.<\/p>\n<p>According to Knight, \u201cMany, many, many hours were spent in training robots for obstacle recognition. I pity the engineer that had to find 10,000 pictures of animal waste to train the robot, but it works.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And the AI isn\u2019t only able to identify pet waste, with its deep learning architecture it can identify common objects like footwear, power strips, and pedestals. This continuous learning feature helps to prepare the robovac for different challenges pets may put them up against.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBefore the camera version I would only use the vacuum when I was at home. But now I feel comfortable letting it run when I\u2019m not there,\u201d Knight said.<\/p>\n<p>Another cool pet-friendly gadget that uses cameras to help owners prepare for the unexpected are smart animal doors.<\/p>\n<p>While you may want to give your dog or cat the freedom to roam the garden when they please, the potential for robbers and even other creatures to use traditional door flaps has made a lot of pet owners think twice.<\/p>\n<p>But now a range of smart pet flaps (like the <a href=\"https:\/\/store.petsafe.net\/electronic-smartdoor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Petsafe<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/plexidors.com\/product\/plexidor-electric\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Plexidor<\/a>) have burst onto the scene enabling pets to come and go as they please \u2014 all while keeping anyone and anything else out.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1329719 lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/11\/petsafe-pet-friendly-smart-door.jpg\" alt=\"petsafe pet-friendly smart door\" width=\"446\" height=\"553\" sizes=\"(max-width: 446px) 100vw, 446px\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/11\/petsafe-pet-friendly-smart-door.jpg 446w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/11\/petsafe-pet-friendly-smart-door-169x210.jpg 169w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/11\/petsafe-pet-friendly-smart-door-218x270.jpg 218w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/11\/petsafe-pet-friendly-smart-door-109x135.jpg 109w\"><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/plugged\/2020\/11\/27\/build-pet-friendly-gadget-experts-animal-owners-design\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenextweb.com%2Fplugged%2F2020%2F11%2F27%2Fbuild-pet-friendly-gadget-experts-animal-owners-design%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The Petsafe smart door.\" data-title=\"Share The Petsafe smart door. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The Petsafe smart door. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>The Petsafe smart door.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There\u2019s even more that smart home gadgets with cameras can do for pet owners though.<\/p>\n<h2>Cocoa, the sock thief<\/h2>\n<p>Take Cocoa, a Bichon Yorkie from NYC with a penchant for stealing socks. When her owners decided to put in new floors they found a treasure trove of missing socks. Her owner Andrea told us they \u201chad to clean out her \u2018lairs\u2019 (apparently she had one under the bed and one under the ottoman) \u2014 and we found quite a stash!\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Solution: Be your users\u2019 eyes and ears<\/h2>\n<p>Dogs have a natural instinct to bury things, whether it\u2019s your undergarments or a treat they want to keep safe for later. Of course, for pet owners, this habit is counterproductive to their need for keeping the house clean and socks in their drawers.<\/p>\n<p>The pet-friendly camera on the new Roborock is able to identify different obstacles in its path and give users a map of what it\u2019s discovered during its cleaning route, helping you find long lost objects like socks that \u2018mysteriously\u2019 go missing.<\/p>\n<p>Another gadget that keeps this principle in mind is this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.surepetcare.com\/en-us\/pet-feeder\/microchip-pet-feeder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">microchip pet feeder<\/a>. While automatic pet feeders have been a popular new fixture for pet parents with busy schedules, there\u2019s one very important thing they often forget.<\/p>\n<p>While some pets may be dainty eaters, others are Garfield incarnate. These pets will stop at nothing to chow down on their food and that of your other pets.<\/p>\n<p>Like with electronic pet doors, microchip activated pet feeders keep food bowls closed and only open when the corresponding pet goes up for a snack. This means you can rest assured that BOTH your pets are being well fed while you\u2019re away.<\/p>\n<p>So if you\u2019re building a pet-friendly gadget, it\u2019s good to invest in the camera.<\/p>\n<h2>Loa, the pitbull who\u2019s scared of her own shadow<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s important to remember that animals don\u2019t experience the world like humans. Take the example of Loa, a loveable Pitbull\/American Staffordshire mix.<\/p>\n<p>Her owner, Greta, told us \u201cit\u2019s funny because sometimes people are a bit scared of Loa when we\u2019re in the park, but she actually loves people and wants to be petted all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And, it turns out, she\u2019s also a giant baby.<\/p>\n<p>Loud noises, other dogs, water, and even her own reflection intimidate her. And vacuuming\u2026 forget it. \u201cShe\u2019s terrified when I vacuum and barks the whole time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Living in an apartment is not ideal and the pair tend to get a lot of angry looks from the neighbors after a cleaning session.<\/p>\n<p>On top of that, \u201cshe also has some attachment issues and does NOT like to be left alone in the apartment,\u201d Greta said. Sometimes, in protest, she\u2019ll leave a gift for her owner to find later somewhere in the house\u2026<\/p>\n<h2>Solution: Empathize with your pets<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s important to remember that pets see things in a very different way than we do. Wired to protect and defend their home from intruders, they\u2019ll react in different ways to encroachments into their habitat. If they register something as a threat they\u2019ll bark, become nervous, and stressed.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why, when building a pet friendly gadget, noise has to be a key concern.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a pet feeder at home that my cats are scared of because it\u2019s too noisy, which is the opposite of what you want. Pet products should be fairly quiet and adaptable because pets are unpredictable,\u201d Knight explained.<\/p>\n<p>The new Roborock was built with a stronger motor and noise absorbent materials making it one of the quietest robovaccums on the market, registering at 58 decibels. This updated camera based version also allows you to check in on your pets to see how they\u2019re doing and send them voice messages to soothe them.<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind, this feature may help to calm some animals, while confusing others. It\u2019s really down to your specific pet and their needs.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the most important thing to remember when building a pet-friendly gadget is finding the perfect balance between disrupting the way people do things, while causing as little as possible for their pets.<\/p>\n<p><i>Did you know we have a newsletter all about consumer tech? It\u2019s called Plugged In \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/thenextweb\/newsletter\">and you can subscribe to it right here<\/a>. <\/i><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-post-paidNotice c-post-paidNotice--below\" readability=\"25.6\"> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/us.roborock.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-post-paidNotice-image\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/11\/roborock.png\"><\/a> <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-post-paidNotice-text\">This post is brought to you by <a onclick=\"ga('primary.send', 'event', 'Article', 'Sponsored Post', 'Link');\" href=\"https:\/\/us.roborock.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Roborock<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"c-post-pubDate\"> Published November 27, 2020 \u2014 10:36 UTC <\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/plugged\/2020\/11\/27\/build-pet-friendly-gadget-experts-animal-owners-design\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The rise of smart home gadgets has sometimes forgotten a very important family member, one with tendencies that differ significantly from the humans of the house: our pets. And it\u2019s not always&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1428,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1427"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1427"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1427\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}