PawSense
Overview
PawSense is a smart pet-care system designed to support dogs when their owners are away. It combines a smart collar, companion robot, voice and scent features, and a mobile app to detect signs of distress and provide comfort in real time. The project explores how technology can support a dog’s emotional well-being while giving owners updates and peace of mind.
Problem
How might we detect and reduce separation anxiety in dogs when they are left home alone while their owners are away?
When dogs are left home alone, they can experience separation anxiety, becoming lonely, restless, and distressed through behaviours such as barking and pacing. Meanwhile, owners have limited ways to understand what their pets are experiencing or provide comfort while they are away.
Solution Exploration
We explored three possible directions to address separation anxiety: a Smart Companion Robot, Speaker & Home Automation, and a Smart Self Feeder. After comparing the concepts, we selected the Smart Companion Robot because it focuses on the dog’s emotional well-being rather than only physical care. The concept combines anxiety detection with interaction, the owner’s voice, and familiar scents to provide comfort when the owner is away
Solution
Final Concept — PawSense
PawSense is a smart companion system designed for dogs left home alone. Every component works together to detect distress and deliver comfort in real time.
Smart Collar
Companion Robot
Voice and Scent
Mobile Application
A companion when the owner can’t be there.
Lofi Prototype and Information Architecture
Lofi Prototype
The low-fidelity prototypes helped us explore the form, structure, and personality of the companion robot before developing the final design. We experimented with different shapes and materials to understand the robot’s stability, proportions, internal structure, movement, and overall character. These early models helped us refine the physical direction and move towards a more friendly and functional form.
Information Architecture
The information architecture mapped how the different parts of PawSense work together as one connected system. It connects the smart collar and companion robot to the PawSense backend, while the mobile app allows pet parents to access insights, send voice messages, trigger scent, and receive alerts. This helped define the key touchpoints and create a clear flow between the pet, technology, and owner.
Final Design
The final design brings PawSense together as a connected pet-care system, combining the smart collar, companion robot, voice and scent features, and mobile application. The final outcome focuses on providing comfort and engagement for dogs while helping owners stay informed and connected when they are away
Aap interface
