How not to let your dog get lost, or technologies come to the rescue

According to a study by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), about 14% of pets are lost at least once in their lifetime. In absolute numbers, it looks like this - in five years, almost 11 million animals were lost in the USA (in total, this is the population of a large city if dogs could live on their own). Only 750 thousand people returned home. The reasons why the dog does not return can vary: from the inability to find a way back home to theft and injuries on the road.



Practice shows that a lost dog is almost impossible to find, and a pet that is presented to itself often dies in the unfriendly conditions of the street. To prevent the dog from getting lost, you can use a smart collar that always knows where the shaggy (or not so) pet of the family runs.



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One of the tried and tested collars of this type is Mishiko. In fact, Michiko is a GPS tracker that can be attached either to a complete collar or, if necessary, to any other.



The tracker is protected from external influences by a housing made of durable anodized aluminum. The second part of the body is made of plastic. The model is presented in two colors - black and white. Buttons are not provided, it is turned on either by shaking or through a mobile application (yes, all data collected by the tracker is transmitted to the user's mobile phone or tablet).







There is no need to change the batteries - for charging, the developers have created a wireless station that allows you not even to remove the tracker from the collar. The battery lasts for 1-3 days, but the manufacturer recommends sending the device for night charging. The system is protected from external influences according to the IP67 standard. Thus, the pet can be engaged in any affairs, including jogging in the rain, the device will not suffer. Waterproofing was achieved due to the fact that the developers abandoned the buttons, charging connector, plus added silicone plugs for the bolts fastening the cover to the case.







And by the way, if the pet walks at night, then you can turn on the backlight from your mobile phone - then the dog will be visible even in a dark forest.







Specifications

• Case: Anodized aluminum + ABS plastic with SoftTouch coating
• Dimensions and weight: 52x49x20 mm, 40g
• Protection against moisture and dust: IP67 certification
• Supported: 2G / 3G, UMTS, GPS, GLONASS
• Battery: Li-Po, 480 mAh

How is the data transmitted from the collar? The tracker is equipped with a universal SIM chip that works in any country. There is no limit on communication, as there are no monthly payments for the provision of communication services by the operator. Service can help resolve any issue related to the work of the collar or the location of the pet at any time.



In order for the device to reliably keep in touch, a solution from Sierra Wireless is installed in it, which combines both a modem and a GPS module in one chip. It allows you to use the capabilities of the 3G network, as well as receive and send SMS messages and GPS data.







It is worth noting that the gadget has two modes of operation: active and passive. In passive mode, Mishiko stores data in internal memory (8 MB), but does not send it anywhere. When it is necessary to receive data, the server sends an SMS to the tracker modem, it enters the active mode and starts sending data to the application. The antenna works better than most smartphones. Although the developers do not disclose technical details, but indeed, the tracker keeps the connection perfectly.



Passive mode is used, for example, if the battery of the tracker has sat down. Then the device goes into energy-efficient mode, and is activated only when you receive a request from the application. Before the battery is completely discharged, the system determines its coordinates for the last time and sends them via SMS to the server.



In order to start working with Mishiko, you need to put it on the pet along with the collar and launch the mobile application. All dog movements will be displayed on the map online. If you wish, you can set security zones - if the dog runs out of the marked area, the owner receives a push notification.



Incidentally, in the application there is also a calculation of the activity norms for any breed of dogs. So the owner can track the activity level of the pet, and see how the results match the recommended ones. It turns out that Mishiko also works as a fitness tracker.







For the activity of the application earns points, which allow to judge the total activity of the pet for the day. For each breed, scores (and activity in general) are measured separately. After all, it would be strange to measure the activity of a bull terrier and a pinscher using the same method, right? They have different organisms, and the structure of the body and walks are different. For each breed introduced their own rate of points. If they are not enough - well, it's time for a walk!



What is included?



• GPS- and fitness tracker Mishiko

• Wireless Charger

• Micro USB cable

• Comfortable collar

• Universal mount

• Instructions "Quick Start"

• User's manual



You can now buy the Mishiko tracker in Madrobots , for readers of Geektimes until 03/31/2018 a 10% discount is valid for the MISHIKO promo code.