JK9 Sync I-Harness Yenja Ehlakaniphile

Press Kit

Unique Properties

JK9 Sync is designed to make city living with dogs safer and more comfortable. Thanks to its high-tech knitting material the extremely breathable harness provides an ultra-ergonomic fit while also has extreme tensile strength for control. Its integrated hardware provides high accuracy geolocation to help you find your dog if it gets lost. The hidden LED lights automatically switch on when it's getting dark. Built-in movement sensors track your dog's activity level and signal its healthy range.

Dimensions & Packaging

Dimensions on dog (size L): 200 x 300 x 400 mm

Tags

wearable, technology, app, pet, smart, harness, dog, knitting, sync, jk9

Production Technology

Developing 3D knitting we combined normal polyester yarns and ultra strong thermo-yarns in a special knitting pattern which allows durable 3D forming through steaming and pressing processes. Thanks to high-tensile knitting, the straps can be grown out of the saddle part, creating a seamless unibody construction and a perfect fit on dogs' body. No die cuts (and no waste of yarn) in the process. While normal dog harnesses consist of almost 40 parts, the JK9®Sync only consists of 2 knitted layers.

Design Challenge

One of the striking things that made development complex is that dogs and humans are simultaneous users of this product with very different needs – in addition these dogs live in urban environments that weren't designed for animals in the first place. To meet these complex requirements, we must ask somehow animals too about their needs. This made us to involve a team of animal experts and advisors to be able to identify the needs of animal users the same level as their human companion.

Research

Core field of research was the future of urban dog keeping culture and application of interspecies design for dog harness development. We made both quantitative and qualitative research: we surveyed 1500 dog owners in 10 countries and made 30 in-depth interviews in 5 countries about their lifestyle. One of the most important issues for owners is coexistence: the quality of the symbiosis of dogs, people, and the city, which is crucial considering that by 2050, 70% of people will live in cities.

Inspiration

The Sync smart harness project was launched in pursuit of exploring the next-gen experience of urban dog walking and accessories. How are we going to walk the cities in the future? What will dog harnesses be capable of? What will they be made of? Our aim was to develop a dog harness that utilises the potentials of cutting edge material, hardware and software technologies to make city life for dogs safer and more comfortable.

Project Duration

Core development started in 2019 and finished in 2021 in Budapest, Hungary. After that a two-year testing and DMF session started.

Operation Flow

The App of the Sync Harness allows you to manage the most important geolocation, lighting and lifestyle functions. Its GPS system signals the dog's position accurately to 10m. If your dog strays, the GPS can track your dog for two weeks. With built-in motion sensors the harness always know whether your pet is standing, sitting, playing, or sniffing about and by analysing the patterns of movement and behaviour, it keeps track of your dog's activity level and signals when it drops below healthy.

Patents

Julius-K9®

Image Credits

JK9 / Tamás Szigeti