Pikapoo Roboto e Bokellang Ditšila tsa Dintja by Yihan Luo and Zihang Zheng is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award in Moralo wa Robothiki, Diotomate le Otomasene Competition Category.
TšepeRobothiki· 2025
Pikapoo Roboto e Bokellang Ditšila tsa Dintja
Client: Yihan Luo and Zihang Zheng
Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award Winner in Robothiki Category
- 27,369
- Verified Award Winner
- Verify Award Status for #172728
The Design
About Pikapoo Roboto e Bokellang Ditšila tsa Dintja
Ka dintja tse bao e ka bang dimilione tse 900 lefatsheng ka bophara, taolo ya ditšila tsa dintja e fetohile bothata bo holang ba tikoloho. Dipatlisiso di bontsha hore ho fihlela ho 50% ya beng ba hlokomoloa ho hlwekisa dibakeng tse patilweng ka lebaka la bothata kapa tlhahisoleseding e fosahetseng. Pikapoo e hlahisa tharollo ya roboto e bohlale e nang le PooBot, e leng roboto e ikemetseng e fumanang le ho bokella ditšila tsa dintja, le PooBase, yuniti e hokahaneng ya ho etsa motswako e fetolang ditšila hore e be monontsha. Sistimi yohle e laolwa ka app ya mehala e bonolo ho e sebedisa.
The Recognition
About the Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award
Pikapoo Roboto e Bokellang Ditšila tsa Dintja ke mohapi oa Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award, kananelo e hlomphehang e fuoang meralo e metle e finyellang litlhoko tsa porofeshenale le tsa indasteri tse lebelletsoeng ho lintho tse hlahisitsoeng tse entsoeng hantle. Bahapi ba Tšepe ba bontša bokhoni bo boholo, bokhethehi bo phahameng, kutloisiso ea litsebi le bokhoni ba boqapi ba baqapi ba bona. Pikapoo Roboto e Bokellang Ditšila tsa Dintja e lebelletsoe ho ba ntho e hlahisitsoeng e hlomphuoang haholo, e ratoang le e ratehang, e sebetsang le e nang le mehopolo e mecha. Moralo ona o hapileng Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award o kenyelletsa mekhoa e metle ka ho fetesisa ea indasteri mme o na le litšobotsi tsa theknoloji tse nang le bokhoni tse amanang le tsebo le talenta. Ka lebaka la botlalo ba eona, Pikapoo Roboto e Bokellang Ditšila tsa Dintja e tšoanelehela tlhompho mme e entsoe ho fana ka ntlafatso ea bophelo e thusang ho etsa hore lefatše le be sebaka se molemo.
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
Sponsored
Explore Beyond Designers.org
Discover products, services and opportunities from our advertising partners.
More to Explore
Related Designs
Explore more award-winning designs from the same category, selected by merit.
