In the current era of rapid technological development, the smart pet device market is thriving, providing pet owners with more convenient and thoughtful ways to care for their pets. Among them, the radar module, as an advanced technology, is quietly integrated into various pet supplies, bringing many surprising changes to pets' lives and their owners' pet-keeping experience.
I. Precise Feeding in Smart Feeders
Traditional automatic pet feeders mostly feed according to preset time and quantity, lacking real-time perception of pets' status. In contrast, smart feeders integrated with radar modules are completely different. Take Anxinke Technology's Rd-04 series radar module as an example. This is a 10GHz millimeter-wave radar module that excels in identifying and tracking small targets like pets. When a cat or dog approaches the feeder within the set range, the radar can accurately identify them. It is not interfered by the pet's fur color or changes in lighting conditions, working stably both in bright daytime and dimly lit nights. Once a pet is detected approaching, the system automatically dispenses food and notifies the owner via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connected to an App, even if the owner is far away.
The low-power microwave radar module from Feirui Intelligence also plays a crucial role in pet feeders. By emitting radio waves, when a pet enters the sensing range, the feeder receives the radio waves reflected by the pet's body. The module analyzes the intensity and direction of the reflected signals to accurately determine the pet's position and distance, then automatically (starts) the feeding program. This precise sensing capability ensures that pets can eat on time even when owners are too busy to feed them. Moreover, the low-power design allows the feeder to work for months on battery power, reducing the hassle of frequent battery replacement or worrying about power outages. Different from traditional feeders that require opening holes to install sensors, the microwave radar module uses non-contact detection technology, maintaining the feeder's appearance integrity and aesthetics while avoiding potential safety hazards caused by holes for pets.
II. Caring Water Supply in Smart Water Fountains
Pets' drinking water health cannot be ignored. Many pet owners face the challenge of ensuring their pets always have access to clean and fresh water. Radar module sensing technology provides a perfect solution. When a pet enters the set area of the water fountain, the radar module quickly senses and reports the status, and the water fountain enters the intelligent sensing water outlet mode. Take a certain smart pet water fountain as an example, it is equipped with a microwave radar module that detects pets' approaching behavior in real time. The sensing distance can be flexibly adjusted between 30-150cm to adapt to different scenarios. The delayed water supply time can also be configured between 1s-10s to meet the needs of pets with different water intakes. Additionally, the microwave radar sensing signal has strong penetration ability, capable of penetrating non-metallic materials like plastic and acrylic, enabling a hole-free design that keeps the water fountain's appearance simple and beautiful while enhancing the overall product quality.
This on-demand water supply method not only ensures pets can drink water at any time but also effectively inhibits microbial reproduction. Compared with traditional static water containers, intermittently flowing water is less prone to bacterial growth, providing a strong guarantee for pets' drinking water health. Meanwhile, combined with the remote control function of a mobile App, owners can check the water fountain's working status and even remotely control water outlet when going out, truly caring for pets' drinking water situation anytime, anywhere.
III. A Powerful Assistant for Health Monitoring
In addition to feeding and drinking, pet health monitoring is also a key part of pet care. A pet health anomaly monitoring device and method based on millimeter-wave radar are gradually emerging. This device innovatively designs for multi-container adaptation and low-cost requirements. Based on a material sensing algorithm using millimeter-wave echo, it can automatically select surface reflection/penetration monitoring mode by estimating the dielectric constant, perfectly adapting to containers made of materials such as metal, plastic, or ceramic. Its multi-parameter threshold decision tree model comprehensively judges pets' breathing, body movements, eating rhythm, etc. Once an abnormal combination is detected, it triggers a three-level local alarm. For example, when a pet's eating speed deviates from the baseline by ±30%, a level-1 alarm (green light flashing + short beep) is triggered; if the abnormal breathing frequency lasts >2 minutes, a level-2 alarm (yellow light always on + intermittent beep) occurs; if dangerous actions like vomiting/convulsing are detected, a level-3 alarm (red light flashing rapidly + long beep) is immediately activated.
The device also adopts a cross-container data fusion method to infer disease types through spatio-temporal alignment and pattern matching. Its hybrid power supply architecture (photovoltaic + supercapacitor) design extends standby time and facilitates deployment. Whether for daily health monitoring of family pets or centralized management of pet health in large-scale farming, this millimeter-wave radar-based monitoring system can play an important role in safeguarding pets' health.
IV. Other Innovative Applications
Radar modules also show unique charm in some pet toys. Through radar trajectory analysis, toys can identify pets' movement states and adjust response modes accordingly, greatly enhancing the interactive fun between pets and toys. Meanwhile, accumulated data can further optimize behavior models, allowing toys to better adapt to pets' playing habits.
Some smart pet collars have also introduced radar technology. For example, GlocalMe's PetPhone smart collar integrates five positioning technologies including GPS, AGPS, and LBS in positioning functions, forming a three-dimensional positioning network with active radar. Through the supporting app, owners can not only view pets' movement trajectories in real time but also define safe areas on the map. When pets exceed the set range, an alarm is immediately triggered. To help owners retrieve pets quickly, the collar supports playing custom ringtones, facilitating owners to identify pets' positions in close range and greatly reducing the risk of pets getting lost.
Radar modules are even applied in some pet living space devices. For instance, they can (link) with smart air conditioners, purifiers, etc., dynamically adjusting environmental parameters like temperature and air quality according to pets' activity ranges, creating a comfortable and healthy living space for pets.
