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  • Author Author: bowdends
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The Dog Safety Hat

bowdends

Earlier this year we got a new dog. He was a rescue dog, and was very sweet and lovable.  He was also very energetic and a bit skittish. One day, while I was taking him for a walk, he slipped his leash and ran out into traffic, where he got hit (a dark dog at night has very little chance in traffic). I carried him home and we rushed him to the emergency vet, but there was nothing to be done for him, and we lost him.

 

I'm very glad that my daughter had homework to do that night, so she didn't have to witness him getting hit.  Nevertheless, it obviously made an impact on her, as she's chosen to design a safety hat for dogs.  Here's her design:

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Her writing is more legible than my sons, but I'll still transcribe it here:

 

Dog Safety Hat

Once upon a time, there was a dog named Charlie. In January, 2014, he slipped off his leash, ran into the street, and was hit by a car. He died about an hour later.  True Story.

To prevent accidents like this one, I would like to make a light up hat for dogs and cats. This bandanna has reflective tape on the edges and NeoPixel strips in the middle. It has a sensor that turns it on in the dark, but you can turn it off manually when it is not being worn. When the velcro is together it turns on. Here's a bonus: It looks good on people too! (You can take off the reflective tape if you want BUT you don't have to.)


She would like the secondary use to be for people to wear at parties or other festive occasions.  We'll have a light sensor to turn it on at night, so the battery isn't drained as much during the day, and program the NeoPixels with interesting colors and patterns to draw the eye.  We're also considering a vibration sensor to vary the light show to make it more interesting (possibly more for human use than canine).

 

We have our parts, and our design.  It's time to start sewing!

Parents

  • Please be very careful attempting any electronics project to be worn by a pet. Never leave the animal unattended with the circuit, and be smart about your battery-- a shorted power supply can get hot very quickly and burn your pet, who can't communicate with you as effectively as another human.

  • in reply to bekathwia

    Thanks for the warning. We'll be extra careful.  I'm hoping to be able to place the battery such that it doesn't touch him during normal use, and of course we'll test it thoroughly on people before a dog is allowed to try it out.

    Our new dog doesn't ever get out of the house without supervision, and probably wouldn't be allowed to wear the hat for long in any event.

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  • in reply to bekathwia

    Thanks for the warning. We'll be extra careful.  I'm hoping to be able to place the battery such that it doesn't touch him during normal use, and of course we'll test it thoroughly on people before a dog is allowed to try it out.

    Our new dog doesn't ever get out of the house without supervision, and probably wouldn't be allowed to wear the hat for long in any event.

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