Cat Distractor – Smart Home Design

A device that distracts my cat from scrabbling my trash bin.

Goals:

• Prevent my cat from constantly digging through the trash can

• Distract and engage her with something entertaining so she can play on her own

Role:

• User Experience Research:
  Conducted user tracking studies to understand actual usage behaviors and analyzed collected data for actionable insights.
• Product Design:
  Identified user needs, developed product concepts, and planned the full design-to-manufacturing process.
• Embedded System Design:
  Managed the entire embedded development process—from circuit design to software programming—while debugging and optimizing the smart device.

Approach:

• Electronic Components:
  ESP8266 module, buzzer, laser emitter, and other hardware components.
• Design Software:
  Fusion 360 (for 3D modeling), Arduino IDE (for embedded development).
• Data Transmission:
  Server-client communication over Wi-Fi.