Function Meets Form in Meichen Liu’s Vision for Nadoo

It affirms that the symbiotic design of tech and empathy transcends species. Nadoo redefines "responsible companionship"—translating cold engineering into warmth through intentional form and interaction.

The award catalyzed partnerships with animal NGOs, including the development of low-power chips for strays. User demand also drives modular expansion, with health tracking via swappable sensors coming soon.

Experimentation balances logic and empathy. We tested 120 acoustic scenarios with veterinarians to finalize 8-12kHz alerts—sufficiently noticeable yet non-threatening to pets’ hearing sensitivity.

Squirrels hiding nuts taught me ‘olfactory logic’. Their spatial memory inspired Nadoo’s signal system—using light pulse intensity and sound gradients as pets’ navigational cues.

Subtraction requires more courage than addition. We stripped non-core features like temperature monitoring to prioritize battery life—proving simplicity fuels reliability.

Data bridges visions. Clients questioned geofencing accuracy until we shared 300 field tests showing 0.5m error margins. Numbers proved aesthetics and utility can align.

Material paradox: Making PBT waterproof yet acoustically permeable. Solution: 0.1mm laser-pierced micro-holes boosting speaker volume by 40%—invisible texture, audible breakthrough.

Reconnecting with users breaks blocks. Watching elders struggle with apps led us to streamline geofencing from 7 steps to 3, adding voice guidance—design must respect all generations.

Tech should recede into life. Nadoo’s pebble-like curves make it a natural accessory, not a ‘tracker’—my belief that caring technology must be humble and harmonious.

Design is like calibrating GPS: find True North (core needs) first. We initially overloaded Nadoo with features, then realized ‘security’ was the only coordinate that mattered.

Naoto Fukasawa's 'without thought' philosophy aligns with Nadoo—technology should adapt to pets' instincts, not force behavioral changes. A master of invisible innovation.

I hope people would ask me "How do you make tech gain pets' trust?"

I would then say that texture and sound design matter. Nadoo's matte finish mimics fur touch, and alerts avoid irritating frequencies—tech becomes a 'silent companion' they willingly embrace.