UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
SMART CAT LITTER BOX
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEURSHIP (ENT600): NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FACULTY AND PROGRAMM PROGRAMME E
: FACULTY OF CHEMICA CHEMICAL L ENGINEERING (EH220)
SEMESTER
:7
GROUP MEMBER MEMBERS S
: SYAZWINA BINTI AZIZI NURHANIZA BINTI MD KAMIS
2015635202 201563520 2 2015228762 201522876 2
SITI KHAIRUNNISA BINTI AHMAD 2015635236 NORNADHIRAH BINTI HAMID LECTURER
: DR YASMIN KAMALL KHAN
3
2015896504
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................. .................................................. ................................. ................................. .......................... ......... 3
2.0
INTRODUCTION ............................... ................................................ .................................. ................................. ................................. ....................... ...... 4
2.1 2.2 2.3 3.0
Problem statement ................................ ................................................ ................................. ................................. ............................... ............... 4 Methodology: Data collection ............................... ................................................ .................................. ............................... .............. 4 Limitations................ Limitations.................................. .................................. ................................. ................................. .................................. .......................... ........ 5 NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT (NPD)............... (NPD) ................................ .................................. .................................. ................. 6
3.1
Definition ................................. ................................................. ................................. .................................. .................................. ............................ ........... 6
3.2
Classification of NPD ................................. .................................................. ................................. ................................. .......................... ......... 7
3.3
New Product Development Process ............................... ................................................ .................................. .................... ... 8
3.3.1
Research & Development ................................ ................................................ .................................. .................................. ................... ... 8
3.3.2
Product Design/Features Design/Features ................................. ................................................. .................................. .................................. .................. 11
3.3.3
Concept Testing ................................. ................................................. ................................. .................................. ................................ ............... 15
3.3.5
Consumer Trend Analysis .................................. .................................................. ................................. ................................ ............... 18
4.0
CONCLUSION ............................... ................................................ .................................. ................................. .................................. ........................ ...... 18
5.0
REFERENCE .................................. .................................................. ................................. ................................. .................................. ........................ ...... 20
1.0
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY It is known that the daily struggles of a cat owner is the infinite amount of times one
must clean out the litter box by scooping the waste. This is not only unhygienic, but also a waste in litter as some unused ones tend to get thrown out. This study was conducted to develop a product that is semi-automatic to clean out cat waste. It also discovers how many potential consumers are interested in the product. Also, this paper will highlight the design of the product and reasoning behind the parameters chosen.
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2.0
INTRODUCTION
2.1
Problem statement
Cats owner have to face various problems regarding their cats’ litter box. Conventional method of cleaning litter box is by scooping. It is not only time-consuming, but is also dirty, and a hassle, especially for owner of multiple cats because the cat waste can pile up. Moreover, scooping will result in more cat litter being thrown away which is a waste and cat litter can be expensive depending on the type. A typical litter box is an open rectangular box. This type of litter box makes it possible for more dust and litter escaping the box caused by cat behaviour of digging and bolting when littering.
2.2
Methodology: Data collection
All information was collected through several methods which are:
1. Observation Observation was performed through the problems faced by one of our group members who own almost 30 cats and kittens. She identified that cleaning up many cages and litter boxes for that number of cats is exhausting, time-consuming, and dirty. Usually, the clean-up time can take as long as 2 to 3 hours twice a day. Plus, many of the scooped cat waste that is thrown away still have much usable cat litter. Since her family spends more than RM200 for cat litter per month, it is a waste of cat litter.
2. Survey or questionnaire Several online surveys or questionnaires were conducted to identify the number of cat owners that face the same problem, and the probability of the proposed product to be accepted by the market.
3. Research Research and study has been done on existing conventional litter box and selfcleaning litter box. Based on the problem statement, it is identified that a selfcleaning litter box with litter dispenser may be the solution.
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2.3
Limitations
Scooping is the most common method of cleaning litter box as it is cheap and simple. While existing self-cleaning litter box is highly efficient, it is costly, require plug, and only suitable for premium clump litter. To introduce a new self-cleaning litter box, there are some limitations needed to be countered:
1. Size The size of litter box should be large enough for a big cat to enter and use it comfortably. With extra feature, the size will increase and take too much space.
2. Cost of product Design, features, and materials used in products developing will increase the cost of product. Design and features include use of grate or sifter, as well as odour and dust control system. Sturdy construction needs suitable materials. Some self-cleaning litter box also is only suitable for a certain type of cat litter which can be expensive.
3. Efficiency of product Small faeces and clumps can be difficult for filtration. Cat clumps can stick on sides of the box. A lot of urine in the system also affects the separation process as it hinders the grate or sifter.
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3.0
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT (NPD)
3.1
Definition Living in an era of technology, people are expecting an easier and hassle-free
lifestyle with helps of technological devices that are smart, multi-purpose, and automaticallyoperated. Conventional ways of doing things can be time-consuming, difficult to perform, and expensive. Thus, to satisfy the necessities and needs, NPD which produces new product innovations have been introduced. Innovation is defined by Simonton (1999) as anything that is useful, especially economically, and actually implemented in processes or artefacts. Thanks to this field, people nowadays gain benefits from many technological products such as Wireless internet, electrical devices and public transportations.
NDP is a complete process of bringing new products in business and engineering perspectives. It is a process by which entrepreneur designs and creates new product or service that will be sold to customers. The process involves transforming market opportunity into a product available for sale whether by developing a new product or service for the market or modifying existing products as new with better design or features.
Developing new product involves the following process: Research and development
Product design
Concept testing
Build prototype
Test marketing
Commercialization
Figure 3.1: NPD process
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3.2
Classification of NPD
According to Claessens (2016) and Iskanderani (2016), new products can be classified into the following categories:
1. Completely new product It involves new-to-the-world products which are new inventions that create a whole new market, and new-to-the-firm products which are not new to the world, but new to the firm.
2. Improvement on existing products There are four categories of new product in this classification which are additions to existing product lines, product developments, repositioning, and cost reductions. Additions to existing product lines are usually new t o the company, but they fit under an existing product line that the company makes. Current products are made better by improving quality, features or performance of an existing product. Repositioning involves introducing new application for an existing product for a new market segment. Products which offer similar benefits at a lower cost are cost reductions.
There are many self-cleaning litter box in the market nowadays (Imperial, 2017). To properly suit our problem statement, modification is performed on the existing products.
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3.3
New Product Development Process
3.3.1
Research & Development a) Idea generation
The idea sparked as one of my group members told us how her family has to work for long hours to clean up their cats cages including their litter boxes. Her family has been caring for more than 30 cats or kittens for 3 years and now has a large cage that can house up to 20 cats, as well as several cages and carriers. Some of them also stay inside the house. For that many cats, they have to spend almost 2 hours twice a day to clean the cages and 8 litter boxes. It is time consuming and exhausting. Moreover, when scooping out cat waste, some of the litters are thrown away with it. It is a waste as her family spends around RM225.00 per month on cat litters.
To solve her family’s problems, they can use a cat litter box that is self cleaning, easy to handle, and able to effectively remove clumps without wasting cat litters. Thus, we came up with several ideas for the litter box.
Automatic/Manual use Mosquito repellent
Litter dispencer
Self-Cleaning Litter Box Sweeping/rotating filtration
Dust reducer
Odour absorber Figure 3.2: Ideas for self-cleaning litter box b) Idea screening
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Based on Figure 3.2, we have decided to develop a self-cleaning litter box with the following features:
i.
Manual use We prefer manual use because we would like to avoid requiring power sources such as plugs or battery. We would like to make the litter box removable and can be placed anywhere especially outdoors.
ii.
Rotating filtration Cat waste is separated by rotating filtration instead of sweeping. We choose this method because it is suitable with the design of a drum. The design reduces cat litter from escaping the litter box caused by digging or bolting when and after the cats use the litter. The design also allows a complete clean-up by just a spin.
iii.
Litter dispenser To minimize the use of cat litter, we add on a litter dispenser that would release a set amount of fresh litter into the litter box. This would prevent from overusing cat litter and allow for mixing litter residue.
c) Market survey
According to Lintz (2016), cat care has experienced significant growth in recent years due to the increase of cat ownership. A report from APPA National Pet Owners Survey shows that there are 85.5 million pet cats in the United State. The big beneficiary of the growth in cat ownership is the litter category which accounts to near USD1.8 billion in sales in 2015. Subsequently, litter box and related accessories category has also been blooming.
Market survey is conducted by preparing a questionnaire to gain information on self-cleaning litter box demand and its potential in market. The results or responses of 73 people are shown in Figure 3.3.
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Yes
No
Outside
(a)
Yes
Toilet (b)
Don’t mind
No (c)
No
Litter box
Yes
(d)
Yes
No (e)
Figure 3.3: Survey responses on (a) Cat owners; (b) Handling cat littering (c) time availability to clean up cat’s litter; (d) Hygienic litter box ; (e) Interest in self-cleaning litter box
Based on the results, it is found that more than 50% of respondents have at least a cat at home. More cat owners prefer letting their cat do its business outside and using litter box. The majority of the respondents agreed that they do not have enough time to clean up litter box and that cleaning with scooping by hand is not hygienic. Consequently, selfcleaning litter box has gain a lot of interest with nearly 80% of respondents is willing to invest in the product. Thus, self-cleaning litter box is concluded to have a high potential in litter box market. 10
3.3.2
Product Design/Features The smart cat litter box consists of a square base 50 cm long and wide. On top sits a
hollow cylinder drum with a 25 cm radius. The base and drum are depicted in Figure 3.4 and are colored beige. The back side of the drum is fully closed and the front part has a circular guard that is 10 cm wide. A frame keeps the drum axially mobile but stationary in the horizontal and vertical direction. On the right side of the drum there is a compartment responsible for trapping the cat waste and allows easy disposal. Meanwhile in blue, the cat litter dispenser has a height of 54 cm and a width of 21 cm. There is an opening on the top for cat litter refills and a chute leading into the drum for litter replenishment. Side, top, front and full views were included in figures 3.5 to 3.8.
Figure 3.4: Dimensions of Product
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Figure 3.5: Front View of Product
Figure 3.6: Side View of Product
Figure 3.7: Top View of Product
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Figure 3.8: Full View of the Product To utilize the convenient smart cat litter box is a simple procedure. The only important thing to note is a clumping variety of litter must be used in order for the product to function efficiently. When a cat jumps in to complete nature’s call ther e will be waste inside the drum. A cat owner only needs to rotate the mobile drum anti-clockwise. From the rotation motion the waste eventually gets trapped into a compartment as in figure 3.9 that has built in sifters that is wide enough to allow unused litter to pass but narrow enough to catch any clumps. Notice the external object in blue that is the litter dispenser. This component will replenish the litter lost to the waste eliminating the need to manually replace the litter. The rotation motion will trigger a latch inside the drum that opens up the hatch leading up to the dispenser where fresh litter is located.
Figure 3.9: Sifter View
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The overall size of the product is 90 cm wide, 50 cm long, and at a 56 cm height. A diameter and width of 50 cm was chosen for the drum because that fits the average house cat dimensions. When a cat occupies the hollow space of the drum it is given total privacy from the completely covered backside and the partially covered front. This feature also serves a dual purpose that is to ensure that litter stays only inside of the drum. The circular guard allocates enough room for the cat to pass through but is tall enough to make sure litter does not leak out. A weighted square base is used to ensure stability of the product. With ease for the user and transportation in mind, the whole product is detachable and will fit in a 1 meter box. The drum will also have rubber strips glued to it so that when the user rotates it he/she will have some form of grip. At only less than a meter wide, the product is also friendly for those that are pressed on space. It fits perfectly in a corner be it in a room or the bathroom. The smart cat litter box also comes in a variety of colors as depicted in Figure 3.10 to cater to the aesthetic needs of the consumer. Lastly, in the event of damage to the components replacement drums and litter dispensers can also be purchased separately.
Figure 3.10: Available colors
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3.3.3 Concept Testing The flow of self-cleaning litter box with dispenser are as follows:
Existance of clumping litter
Cats
Rotate the litter box
the clumping litter will stuck at the waste tray People
Removal of clumping litter from the waste tray Refill the litter box with clean litter from litter dispenser Figure 3.11: The work flow of smart cat litter box
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3.3.4
Test Marketing
A survey has been done by using google form to test the market survey among the surrounding people but mainly focus on the owners of cat.
Figure 3.12: Time availability of the responder in handling their pets’ litter
Figure 3.13: Willingness of responder to invest in our product
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Figure 3.14: Range of price that suitable for our product
Figure 3.15: Marketing between surrounding people
From the response received, our product gained positive feedbacks from the responder. It shows that our product can be accepted by the community and might be helpful to the cats’ owner to handle their pets waste and house hygiene in the limited time.
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3.3.5 Consumer Trend Analysis The consumer trend canvas may assist in gathering and analyses the problem basic needs and transform the innovation before it can commercialized. The CTC for smart cat litter box is as below:
• • • •
Time saving Simplicity Hygiene Relevance
• • •
Systematic • management Health •
Hygienic in nature Comfortability
•
Providing systematic management of waste disposal Comfortability of human and animals
Smart cat litter box
• • •
Proper waste management Easy handling and maintenance Saves time and energy
• •
Roll and selfcleaning litter box Water dispenser
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• • •
Owners of cat Cats’ lover
Busy person
4.0
CONCLUSION As a conclusion, referring to the problem statement it is known that a major problem
in a cat owners’ day is the exhausting task of cleaning the litter box. Self -cleaning litterboxes already exist in the current market however there is still room for improvement. The main features of the smart cat litter box is manual usage, rotating filtration, and a litter dispenser. A poll directed to the public produced results that at least half of the respondents have cats at home and 80% of those respondents are interested in the product. In the design process of the product, ergonomics, size, and ease of use for the consumer were the main priority. The aesthetic needs of the consumer were also considered. Therefore, the smart cat litter box has potential to compete in the market of self-cleaning litter boxes based on the research done above.
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5.0
REFERENCE
Simonton, D. (1999). Genius, creativity, and leadership. San Jose: ToExcel.
Claessens, M. (2016). Categories of New Products – What Is A New Product? [online]. Marketing-Insider.
Available
at:
https://marketing-insider.eu/categories-of-new-products/
[Assessed 20 Nov. 2017].
Iskanderani, W. (2016). The Six Categories of New Products. [online]. Linkedin. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/six-categories-new-products-wisam-iskanderani-npdp [Assessed at 20 Nov. 2017].
Lintz, C. (2016). A Little Litter Goes a Long Way . [online]. Pet Business. Available at: http://www.petbusiness.com/April-2016/A-Little-Litter-Goes-a-Long-Way/ [Assessed at 21 Nov. 2017]. Imperiale, D. (2017). The 6 Best Self Cleaning Litter Boxes. [online]. Ezvid Wiki. Available at: https://wiki.ezvid.com/best-self-cleaning-litter-boxes [Assessed on 21 Nov. 2017].
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