Project area
Pet Care
Year
2023
Fido
Enhancing Petcare: Bridging Dog-Owner Communication with AI
Project overview
Fido is a project designed to bridge the communication gap between owners and their dogs, offering a new way to understand and interact with pets. By leveraging various forms of artificial intelligence, including computer vision and natural language processing (NLP), Fido enhances pet safety and allows owners to engage with their dogs through a chatbot, addressing their needs and experiences.
Introduction
Context
For many, dogs aren't just pets, they're beloved family members. But unlike other family members, we can't directly communicate with them. Imagine being able to understand their needs and feelings. That's the dream we aim to achieve with Fido.
Problem
The inability to directly communicate with our dogs creates a gap in understanding their needs and well-being. This gap often leads to confusion and missed cues about their health, safety, and happiness
Project Goals
Value proposition
Revolutionizing Pet Care through Insightful Technology
Objective
The primary goal of the Fido project is to bridge the communication gap between dogs and their owners through advanced AI technology.
Specific Goals
Safety:
Ensure the safety of pets through real-time alerts and monitoring.
Health Monitoring:
Track and monitor health signs and activities.
Environmental Interaction:
Understand and improve dogs' interactions with their environment.
Market
Research
Our research indicates a significant market need for better communication tools for pet owners. The dog population has almost doubled in the last ten years today. This growth is mirrored by an expanding market for pet services.
Dog world's population
525 mln
900 mln
2012
2022
Expected Market Size Growth
57 bn
105 bn
2023
2033
Market size
live stock
55%
pet service
45%
2023
live stock
47%
pet service
53%
2023
In just four years, the market size of pet services outgrew the market size of livestock, and this gap is expected to widen.
Competitor Analysis
Several companies now offer wearable devices for dogs that monitor vital signs and include GPS tracking. These gadgets help pet owners keep an eye on their dog's health metrics like heart rate and activity levels, while also providing real-time location data.
Additionally, there are home monitoring products with cameras that allow owners to watch their dogs remotely. These cameras often come with interactive features, such as treat dispensers, to engage pets even when owners are away.
These products show a trend of integrating technology into pet care, offering convenience and peace of mind. However, there is still a gap in providing a truly comprehensive solution for all aspects of a dog's life. This is where Fido aims to excel.
Competitive Advantage
What could make Fido unique?
Conversational Interaction:
Allows owners to interact with their dogs through natural, conversational methods.
Fido not only monitors health and location but also enriches the owner-pet relationship through advanced interaction capabilities, setting it apart from existing products.
Why should dog owners talk to their dogs?
Better Understanding:
Gain deeper insights into their dog's experiences and needs while strengthening the relationship through meaningful communication.
Development Process
Research and Ideation
We began with extensive research to identify the needs of dog owners, followed by brainstorming and conceptualizing the Fido solution.
Explore while prototyping
The project involved several exploring prototyping phases to create UIs for apps designed to consolidate various services for dog owners. These services include analyzing vital signs and videos, integrating electronic health records, booking veterinary clinic visits, booking visits veterinary clinics or stays at dog kennels with video-streaming services, offering a chatbot for understanding the dog's health based on data and veterinary knowledge.
Final concept approach key moments
Adopting the Dog's Perspective
How can we better understand anything?
By adopting its point of view.
We realized that to understand our dogs better, we needed to see the world from their point of view. Instead of using external cameras, which could easily mistake one dog for another, we decided to use a unique camera for each dog, capturing their perspective directly.
Identifying Suitable Technology
We found that smart glasses offered a similar software-hardware integration to what we envisioned. By fine-tuning this technology, we adapted it to suit our specific use case, enabling us to better understand and communicate with our dogs.
Solution overview
The MVP product
After an initial exploratory phase, we decided to focus on the underutilized potential of computer vision in this sector, unlike the more common health and GPS monitoring systems, aiming to bring innovation.
Inspired by projects like smart glasses for humans, we envisioned using computer vision to analyze a dog's experiences. This information would be processed and delivered to the owner via a chatbot that personifies the dog, creating a new and engaging way for owners to interact. The chatbot would also provide personalized alert notifications based on specific triggers, satisfying curiosity, being fun, and useful at the same time.
Features and Capabilities
AI-Powered Camera:
Monitors and records your dog's daily activities.
Intelligent Chatbot:
Allows to ask about dog’s information in a conversational manner.
Personalized Alerts:
Keeps the user informed and the dog safe with customizable notifications for important events.
Technology Stack
The Camera & Board
Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32S3
The Battery
EEMB LP502030 3.7v 250mAH battery
The Case
3D printed case
Assembling
Impact & Potential
Fido in real life
The impact of Fido can be life-changing. For instance, Amedeo, a pet owner, tragically lost his dog Jamuna to poisoned food. With Fido, he could have received alerts about unusual behavior or environmental dangers, potentially preventing such incidents.
Business Model
Fido's Revenue Streams
Fido's business model aims to generate revenue through product sales, subscription services, and partnerships with pet care brands and veterinarians.
Product Sales:
Developing an AI-powered camera collar for real-time pet monitoring, enhancing pet safety and well-being.Subscription Services:
Offering a subscription for premium features, including advanced analytics, personalized pet care recommendations, and enhanced video storage.Collaborations and Partnerships:
Planning partnerships with pet care brands and veterinarians to provide integrated solutions and exclusive offers, boosting product value and creating additional revenue streams.Accessory Options:
Developing SD cards for the collar to store images and videos locally during excursions without internet access, allowing analysis later.
Fido's future
Strategic Milestones and Development Goals
Year 1
Foundation and Growth
Objective:
Find an incubator or accelerator to structure our progress and refine our business model
Year 2
Initial Launch and Feedback
Focus:
Launch Fido's AI-powered device.
Goals:
Emphasize marketing efforts and gather extensive user feedback for product improvements.
Year 3
Expansion and Enhancement
Focus:
Broaden product applicability to include other types of pets.
Goals:
Introduce advanced audio analysis features.
Year 5
Advanced AI Development
Focus:
Develop sophisticated AI capabilities.
Goals:
Cross-reference video data with vital signs to create innovative methods for conducting veterinary medical research, enabling detailed behavior and health monitoring.
Year 10