The Dot

Dogs are notorious for their annoying desire to chew: their desire to chew shoes, chairs, couches, computers, remote controls, anything but their chew toys. The Dot is the end of all things in the realm of dog related mischief. Owning a dog can lead to unwanted expenses when damages occur as a result of disobedience. 60% of all dogs that enter an animal shelter are euthanized, many of which were put there because of their inability to understand right from wrong. The root problem stems from the owner’s inability to communicate right from wrong, proper training. Enter: The Dot. The Dot features a small, puck-shaped assembly with a proximity sensor and a universal attachment that goes on the collar of the dog. It can either administer small electric current or give a warning beep in the event that the dog gets too close. The puck is lightweight, and hence, can be adhered, via an acrylic based elastomer, to walls, floors, tables, etc. intending to sense and deter dogs from their usual mischievous activities. The Dot combines Nylon plastic, Butyl Rubber, Aluminum, and Stainless Steel (screws) parts. 3D printing The Dot using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) gives it the ability to contain complex sweep features that cannot be created with regular plastic molding. This also reduces both the cost and time for the entire manufacturing process without compromising the strength and durability of the part being printed. The simple, clean design for the puck itself includes a battery housing, a small space allocated for proper circuitry, and the means in which the battery can provide power to the sensor and transmitter. In addition, it includes a lip feature for ease of assembly and ease of disassembly, and a Butyl Rubber stand that is to be coated in a non-permanent adhesive that will not damage the surface to which it adheres. The collar attachment comprises of a battery cover that dually acts as the attaching mechanism and the casing for circuitry. The attaching mechanism is