Smart Pet Bowl Load Sensor for Early Health Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies for monitoring pet feeding and drinking behaviors are inadequate in detecting early signs of animal health issues, as they often rely on visual indicators that become noticeable only at mid-to late-stages of a disease or health issue, and pet owners lack the necessary animal behavioral knowledge to interpret these signs.
Innovation Solution
A smart pet bowl equipped with a load sensor sensitive to load changes of pet food or water, capable of sampling data at rates from 10 to 150 samples per second, and communicating this data over a computer network for processing and analysis using artificial intelligence or machine learning systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If visual indicators are used to monitor pet health, then health issues can be detected, but detection occurs only at mid-to late-stages of disease
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary monitoring of feeding behavior patterns to establish a baseline before health issues develop. By continuously tracking and analyzing subtle changes in eating habits, the system detects early signs of health problems before they manifest as visible symptoms, enabling early intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary layer of behavioral analysis between the pet and the owner. Instead of directly observing physical symptoms, the system monitors feeding behavior as an intermediate indicator that reflects the pet's health status, allowing detection of health issues before physical symptoms appear.
2Quantity of substance
If basic tracking devices like cameras and scales are used, then some basic information can be collected, but inadequate information is provided to assess small changes in behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces basic mechanical tracking devices with an intelligent analysis system that processes load sensor data through algorithms. Instead of merely recording weight changes, the system analyzes patterns, frequency, and characteristics of feeding behavior to detect subtle changes that indicate health issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors multiple parameters of feeding behavior including load magnitude, duration, frequency, and patterns. By tracking changes in these parameters over time, the system can detect subtle behavioral changes that indicate health issues, providing comprehensive information beyond simple weight measurement.
3Measurement precision
If high sample rate load data is collected, then subtle feeding behavior changes can be detected, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the relevant features from high-sample-rate load data, such as feeding event timing, duration, and load characteristics. By focusing on key parameters rather than processing every data point, the system maintains high detection precision while reducing processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary filtering and aggregation of high-sample-rate data to identify feeding events before detailed analysis. By pre-processing data to extract meaningful events and patterns, the system reduces the complexity of subsequent analysis while preserving detection precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The smart pet bowl system provides early indicators of potential health conditions in pets by analyzing subtle changes in feeding and drinking behaviors, enabling proactive notifications to pet owners and veterinarians for timely intervention.
Implementation Method 1
a load sensor associated with the pet bowl that is sensitive to load changes of pet food or water carried within the pet bowl
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure includes a smart pet bowl to monitor pet feeding behavior, which includes a pet bowl to carry pet food or water or carry a bowl insert to carry pet food or water. The smart pet bowl also can include a load sensor associated with the pet bowl that is sensitive to load changes of pet food or water carried within the pet bowl. The load sensor has a sensitivity of +/â50 grams or less and load data collectable therefrom is at a sample rate from 10 to 150 samples per second in sequential time increments from about 0.01 second to 5 seconds. The smart pet bowl may also include a data communicator to communicate the load data over a computer network, a processor, and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, communicates the load data over the computer network.