Canine Activity Tracker
PROJECTS
As part of Duke University's EGR 101 design course, our team partnered with Saving Grace Animal Shelter to develop a low-cost activity tracker for dogs undergoing rehabilitation. The goal was to provide shelter staff and pet owners with an objective way to monitor a dog's daily activity and recovery progress after injury or periods of limited mobility.
The Problem
Rehabilitation programs often rely on visual observations to determine whether a dog is regaining strength and mobility. Our client wanted an affordable and reusable device capable of tracking activity levels over an extended rehabilitation period while remaining comfortable for the animal to wear.
Design Solution
We developed a collar-mounted activity tracker that uses an accelerometer and microcontroller to monitor movement throughout the day. Activity data is stored and transmitted wirelessly, allowing owners and shelter staff to review a dog's progress remotely.
The design process included hardware selection, rapid prototyping, enclosure design, electronics integration, and user testing. Special attention was given to durability, comfort, battery life, and cost to ensure the device could be practically deployed in a shelter environment.
Engineering Considerations
Activity monitoring using accelerometer data
Wireless communication and remote data access
Low-cost hardware selection
Battery-powered operation
Waterproof and durable enclosure design
Comfortable collar attachment system
Results
The final prototype successfully met all major project requirements. The device cost approximately $17.54 to build, weighed less than three ounces, operated for more than two days on battery power, and achieved approximately 75% activity-tracking accuracy during testing. The system demonstrated that an inexpensive wearable device could provide meaningful rehabilitation data for animal care applications.
Skills & Technologies
Embedded Systems
Sensor Integration
ESP8266 Development
Wireless Communication
Hardware Prototyping
Product Design
CAD Modeling
Engineering Testing & Validation
Client-Focused Design