Ears-Up
Keep an ear on what they hear.
Year:
2026
Timeframe:
--
Tools:
Ultrasonic Sensor Design
Category:
Sensing Technology
Overview
Keep an ear on what they hear.
Ears-Up, a small keychain technology that detects ultrasonic sounds that your dogs, cats, and other pets can hear, but your ears cannot detect. It can be hung from leashes, bags, and carabiners and will notify you when ultrasonic sounds that may be loud for your pets are detected in the area. It is an inexpensive alternative to lab-grade ultrasonic sensors, helping owners monitor ultrasonic sounds and make more informed decisions about their pets' environments.
Problem
Research has shown that pets hear, are disturbed by, and become stressed by high-pitched noises and the many common household electronics, like chargers, that emit them. However, owners cannot hear these ultrasonic sounds and fail to identify the source of their pets' discomfort and distress. There are no cheap, consumer-friendly devices to help pet owners notice and locate what their pets are hearing beyond the human hearing range yet.
Solution
Ears-Up is an ultrasonic sensing technology designed to be convenient, intuitive, and affordable for pet owners. Ears-Up uses an affordable microcontroller and ultrasonic microphone circuit board design integrated with an accessible user interface and contained in a pocket-sized device, helping pet owners easily detect what their pets can hear.