Smart Animal Collar - Case Study
Many people treat pets and other animals as part of the family, and it’s brilliant how they bond with us. But with this comes a certain level of dedication and responsibility. Everyone wants their dog to be safe and healthy, and to know where they are when they aren’t nearby. That’s why one of our clients wanted to create a smart collar that allows them to track their four-legged family members. For us, it was a great opportunity to integrate a nRF microcontroller capable of controlling, gathering, and sending data from sensors to a mobile app, while keeping battery consumption at a reasonable level. The nRF Microcontroller is renowned for its efficiency in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, which was essential for this project.
Project Context
The client approached us with a concept for a smart tracker designed to monitor a dog’s daily activities, including step count, resting time, barking, eating, and drinking habits. They also required location tracking, alongside body temperature and environmental humidity monitoring. From a technical standpoint, the device needed to support Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication and over-the-air (OTA) updates. Crucially, it had to operate on a single charge for an extended period of two to six months. Finally, despite this robust feature set, the device required a compact form factor that could seamlessly attach to a standard dog collar without causing any discomfort to the pet.
Project Context
The client approached us with a concept for a smart tracker designed to monitor a dog’s daily activities, including step count, resting time, barking, eating, and drinking habits. They also required location tracking, alongside body temperature and environmental humidity monitoring. From a technical standpoint, the device needed to support Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication and over-the-air (OTA) updates. Crucially, it had to operate on a single charge for an extended period of two to six months. Finally, despite this robust feature set, the device required a compact form factor that could seamlessly attach to a standard dog collar without causing any discomfort to the pet.
Hardware Stack
Firmware Stack
What We Achieved with the nRF Microcontroller
During this project, we successfully engineered a compact, water-resistant dog activity tracker designed to attach seamlessly to a standard collar without bothering the pet. Despite its small form factor, the device is packed with advanced sensors to monitor kinematics and acoustic behavior, all while achieving an impressive battery life of two to six months. From a connectivity standpoint, we implemented reliable Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication alongside Over-The-Air (OTA) update capabilities. Finally, we integrated a robust flash memory architecture utilizing dynamic region swapping to securely store up to 10 days of data directly on the device.
Time Estimates
The table below outlines the estimated time ranges for each hardware and firmware milestone in this project. The hardware phase covers everything from initial component selection through to final hardware testing, totaling between 152 and 264 hours.
| Stage | Min h | Max h | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Component selection |
8 |
16 |
|
|
Schematic drawing |
24 |
40 |
|
|
Package drawing |
32 |
64 |
|
|
PCB routing |
48 |
64 |
|
|
Production files |
8 |
16 |
|
|
Hardware testing |
32 |
64 |
|
|
Total Hardware time |
152 |
264 |
|
|
Initial setup and PCB tests |
48 |
64 |
|
|
IMU handler |
80 |
96 |
|
|
Microphone handler |
80 |
96 |
|
|
Flash handler |
80 |
96 |
|
|
BLE handler |
112 |
128 |
|
|
BLE OTA handler |
112 |
128 |
|
|
Total Firmware time |
512 |
608 |
|
|
Project Management |
66 |
92 |
|
|
Total project time |
730 |
964 |
Note: To the final total project estimated time might be added up to 15% of time for risk assessment.