Pikapoo Tepoztlachihualoni Chichicuitlaquiquixtiani by Yihan Luo and Zihang Zheng is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Mahuizolli A' Design Award Tepoztli in Tepoztlacayotl, Netlacatilli ihuan Ixtlamatqui Tequitiliztli Tlachihchihualiztli Competition Category.
TepoztliTepoztlacayotl· 2025
Pikapoo Tepoztlachihualoni Chichicuitlaquiquixtiani
Client: Yihan Luo and Zihang Zheng
Mahuizolli A' Design Award Tepoztli Winner in Tepoztlacayotl Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #172728The Design
About Pikapoo Tepoztlachihualoni Chichicuitlaquiquixtiani
Ipan cemanahuac onkah chicueyipoalli cen millón chichimeh tlatquiyoh, ihuan chichicuitlatl tlapehpenaliztli mochihua hueyi temamauhcayotl ipan tlalticpactli. Tlatemoaliztli quitohua ca nepantlah in tlatquihuan ahmo quichipahuah nahuatilco ipampa ohuitequiliztli nozo ahcualli tlahtolli. Pikapoo quitlalia ce tlamatini tepoztlachihualoni: in PooBot, ce mocencahualiz tepoztlachihualoni in quitemo huan quipehpena chichicuitlatl, huan in PooBase, ce nepantlacahualoloni tlalchipahuayan in quipatla cuitlatl ipan tlalchipahualli. Nochiuhqui motlapoa ipan ce cualli tepozcalaquiliztli.
The Recognition
About the Mahuizolli A' Design Award Tepoztli
Pikapoo Tepoztlachihualoni Chichicuitlaquiquixtiani ca in quicuic in Mahuizolli A' Design Award Tepoztli, tlamahuizoliztli tlen momaca in cualli dizayno in quitlalia in tlen monequi ipan tequitl ihuan tlachihualiztli in quimaca in cualli tlachihualli. In quicuicah Tepoztli quinextia in hueyi tlamatiliztli, toltecayotl ihuan ihuelitiliztli intlachihuanime. Ca quinequi in Pikapoo Tepoztlachihualoni Chichicuitlaquiquixtiani ca tlazohtli, mahuiztic, yancuic ihuan motequiuhtia. Ni dizayno in quicuic Tepoztli quihuelitia in tlamatiliztli ihuan quipia chicahualiztli tlen tepoztli. Pikapoo Tepoztlachihualoni Chichicuitlaquiquixtiani quicualtia in nemiliztli ihuan quihuelitia in cemanahuac ica cualli.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- With approximately 900 million dogs owned globally, studies show that up to 50% of dog owners skip cleanup in secluded areas due to inconvenience and misconceptions. Dog waste harms the environment and disrupts public spaces. Pikapoo addresses this issue with a smart robotic system: the PooBot (a poop-collecting robot) that picks up waste, and the PooBase (a smart composting unit) that converts it into fertilizer, all managed through an app.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 457.2 mm x 355.6 mm x 304.8 mm / 12.5KG
- Tags
- Robotics, Pet, Eco-Friendly Design, Sustainability, User-Centric Design, Social Impact
- Production Technology
- When PooBot deposits waste into PooBase, a specialized catalyzer containing all-natural microorganisms—including lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, photosynthetic bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi—initiates the transformation of waste into nutrient-rich organic fertilizer. These microorganisms accelerate waste breakdown, eliminate odors, and neutralize harmful pathogens. Once the composting process is complete, part of the fertilizer is released into the surrounding soil to enrich it, while the remainder is transferred back to PooBot for even distribution across the lawn.
- Design Challenge
- The biggest challenge for Pikapoo is figuring out how to recycle dog feces in a way that benefits both the environment and dog owners. For dog owners, we identified an opportunity: in our product Poobot, we designed a system that transforms dog feces into a stool sample for health checks, which can then be picked up by a courier. To support environmental sustainability, Poobot sends the remaining waste to Poobase, where a built-in catalyzer processes the feces into fertilizer.
- Research
- For Pikapoo, we conducted a field research expedition to identify the problem: dog feces near gardens and plants were often left uncollected. Through secondary research, we found that improperly disposed dog feces contain enough bacteria to contaminate soil within a 20-mile radius. Additionally, we gathered feedback from over 100 dog-owning families. Many of them believed that dog poop is beneficial to the soil—but this is a misconception.
- Inspiration
- Cleaning up after pets is tedious, messy, and unpleasant. The diversity among dog owners can make it inconvenient for some to pick up dog waste; for example, elderly individuals may have difficulty bending down, and busy professionals may lack the time. When owners neglect this task, it results in unpleasant sights and polluted, unhealthy land. Pikapoo leverages robotic technology equipped with advanced olfactory and image recognition to offer an efficient solution.
- Project Duration
- Project was initiated since 2019 in Beijing, China. It has gone through rounds of variation and refinement, eventually finished in 2024 in Los Angeles.
- Operation Flow
- Pikapoo is just one click away. Through the app, users request a PooBot to collect dog waste. After collection, the PooBot takes a sample for health monitoring, which is later delivered to the vet. The remaining waste is transported to the nearest PooBase, where it’s composted into organic fertilizer while the PooBot charges wirelessly.
- Team Members
- Industrial Designer: Zihang (Matt) Zheng
Design Research and UIUX Designer: Yihan (Sakura) Luo - Image Credits
- All Copyright Yihan Luo, Zihang Zheng
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