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Beetl
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09-03-2017, 11:50 PM

We're building a robot to pick up dog poop!

Hi Everybody!

I'm part of a team that's building a robot named Beetl to pick up dog poop.

Beetl will autonomously roam around your back yard, identify poop and pick it up using special compostable paper jaws that get deposited into an in-ground composting unit so you don't have to worry about cleaning it out or contributing to landfill.

We showed our prototype at CES in January this year and were ranked #4 in robot start-ups by Robotics Trends:



Our website and [a social network] are here:
[removed]

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the features you would like us to build into the product before we launch on Kickstarter later this year!

We're a small team of 5 engineers and we're all dog lovers - so please fire away with any questions you have about the project! Thanks for your interest

Xiong
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Besoeker
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10-03-2017, 12:17 AM
Originally Posted by Beetl View Post
Hi Everybody!

I'm part of a team that's building a robot named Beetl to pick up dog poop.

Beetl will autonomously roam around your back yard, identify poop and pick it up using special compostable paper jaws that get deposited into an in-ground composting unit so you don't have to worry about cleaning it out or contributing to landfill.

We showed our prototype at CES in January this year and were ranked #4 in robot start-ups by Robotics Trends:


Our website and [a social network] are here:
[removed]

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the features you would like us to build into the product before we launch on Kickstarter later this year!

We're a small team of 5 engineers and we're all dog lovers - so please fire away with any questions you have about the project! Thanks for your interest

Xiong
Laudable project.
Will it be extendable beyong the back yard?
We don't encourage our dog to do his business there.
Could it be developed to cope with woodlands, open areas of grassland, lakeside paths...........
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Beetl
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10-03-2017, 12:35 AM
Thanks Besoeker.

Initially we'll just have the robot constrained to somebody's private property - around the size of a typical suburban back yard is what we've been testing.

We think that the outdoor space of a care home could be a good extended application for the technology too.
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akitababy
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10-03-2017, 03:43 AM
It's one of the best invention ever? Is it available in the market? You really make life easier for us pet owners with this cool toy you have here.
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Beetl
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10-03-2017, 06:19 AM
Thanks akitababy! It's not available yet, but we hope to launch on Kickstarter later this year after showing off the working navigation, pickup and composting to the press to prove that Beetl works.

It would mean a whole lot to us if you followed us on [a social network] and helped make the project a reality by supporting the Kickstarter when it launches. Also by spreading the word! Not many people know about us and this project yet.

Mods: apologies for the spamming links in my original post: lesson learned
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Besoeker
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10-03-2017, 08:02 AM
Originally Posted by Beetl View Post
Thanks Besoeker.

Initially we'll just have the robot constrained to somebody's private property - around the size of a typical suburban back yard is what we've been testing.

We think that the outdoor space of a care home could be a good extended application for the technology too.
I don't mean to put a damper on what is a well-intentioned project and it could become a product that would appeal to some home owners.

But many people don't actually have a back yard. People who live in an apartment block for example. Maybe it's debatable whether they should have a dog but that's another story.

I live in UK. We have a small back yard. It is mostly paved and on three levels. I'm sure there are back yards in the US with multi-level back yards. Would the robot be designed to negotiate that?

I'm sure it will challenge your group's engineering skills, and I say that as an engineer myself. But it's a hard world out there.

So, two questions.
Will it work? You'd probably say yes otherwise you wouldn't be doing it.
Will it sell? ie be a commercially viable project.

Just something for you to think about.
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Beetl
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10-03-2017, 08:29 AM
Originally Posted by Besoeker View Post
I don't mean to put a damper on what is a well-intentioned project and it could become a product that would appeal to some home owners.

But many people don't actually have a back yard. People who live in an apartment block for example. Maybe it's debatable whether they should have a dog but that's another story.

I live in UK. We have a small back yard. It is mostly paved and on three levels. I'm sure there are back yards in the US with multi-level back yards. Would the robot be designed to negotiate that?

I'm sure it will challenge your group's engineering skills, and I say that as an engineer myself. But it's a hard world out there.

So, two questions.
Will it work? You'd probably say yes otherwise you wouldn't be doing it.
Will it sell? ie be a commercially viable project.

Just something for you to think about.
Thanks for the input - it's certainly true that it's a fairly specific group that would benefit from such a product. We don't see this robot negotiating stairs for example - meaning it would be limited to areas accessible by ramp. Moderately rough terrain is manageable though.

So the question of will it work: yes, for people who have back yards on a single level (or at least a poop zone on a single level). Will it sell: we hope so! Using our experience in other areas - we have managed to cost-reduce Beetl to a target retail price of a few hundred dollars.

What would your main concerns be around our tech that we'd need to prove we have covered? This is very useful feedback!
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Beetl
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10-03-2017, 08:30 AM
Plus photo of our prototype for reference: Enjoy!
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Meg
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10-03-2017, 10:50 AM
Beetl will autonomously roam around your back yard, identify poop and pick it up using special compostable paper jaws that get deposited into an in-ground composting unit so you don't have to worry about cleaning it out or contributing to landfill.
Really, it won't find anything in my 'back yard' my dog doesn't go out there to soil .
Your robot might have a struggle getting up the steps onto the lawn anyway.

Most sensible dog owners take their dogs for a walk not just so their pet can relieve themselves but for the necessary mental stimulation a walk provides. If someone can't be bothered to walk their dog I would suggest they don't get one.

I walk miles every day with my dog, I can just imagine the looks I would get not least from the local sheep and cows with that thing trundling across the fields behind us waiting for my dog to poo .
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Besoeker
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10-03-2017, 11:05 AM
Originally Posted by Beetl View Post
Thanks for the input - it's certainly true that it's a fairly specific group that would benefit from such a product. We don't see this robot negotiating stairs for example - meaning it would be limited to areas accessible by ramp. Moderately rough terrain is manageable though.

So the question of will it work: yes, for people who have back yards on a single level (or at least a poop zone on a single level). Will it sell: we hope so! Using our experience in other areas - we have managed to cost-reduce Beetl to a target retail price of a few hundred dollars.

What would your main concerns be around our tech that we'd need to prove we have covered? This is very useful feedback!
i suppose it is battery powered.
So reliability, range, and recharge time are factors that would need to be taken into account and quantified.
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