myQ Pet Portal

an app enabled smart door for your dog by Chamberlain Group

Meet the Team

In spring of 2019, I worked at Chamberlain Group with 5 other interns.

We were the catalyst for the myQ Pet Portal.

Our team consisted of two industrial designers, two UX/UI designers (my role), a computer science engineer and an electrical engineer.

Pet Portal won the Best of Innovation Award in the Smart Home category at CES in 2021, and was featured on multiple news platforms.

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Research

Our extensive research included facilitating interviews, creating surveys, benchmarking existing products and understanding how current pet owners utilize their homes and take care of their pets.

 
 

67% of U.S. households have pets

 

Yet… 80% of pet parents feel guilty leaving their pets at home

 

So why don’t more homeowners have pet doors?

 

96% of pet parents surveyed dont have pet doors because they lack:

Ideation

We developed many ideas considering how to open a door: magnets, a linear actuator, a small wheel, magic, and finally a hidden garage door in your front door.

 

Prototypes

Creating a working breadboard model from MDF helped us understand if the mechanics and programming were possible.

A full sized door was designed and manufactured as proof of concept.

 
 

App

My biggest contribution was developing a working prototype of an app that was capable of controlling the dog door.

Many of the original features we developed were included in the final version that was incorporated into Chamberlain’s existing myQ app.

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Pet Profile and Activity History

Each pet has their own profile page that allows the user to see recordings of previous in/out events, gives information on them and their RFID collar as well as a look into their outdoor activity month to month.

Home Screen

Upon opening the app the user has immediate access to opening the pet door with the push of a button, a live feed from the camera, information about their pets recent activity as well as real time information about whether their pet is currently inside or out.

Schedules

Like any smart home device, the app is capable of creating and maintaining schedules and automations.

These allow the pet to come and go as as they please, or keep them safe indoors with the user being able to manually allow them in or out.

Chamberlain Group

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