Float-a-Pet

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  • Float-a-Pet inflatable collar helps track, save dog's life

    by 
    Darren Murph
    Darren Murph
    08.16.2006

    While the list of random junk humans can affix to their canine companions is embarrassingly long, we have seen a few meaningful accessories that can prevent dogs from straying too far from home. Jed Berk's latest prototype has apparently wrapped as many beneficial aspects as he thought possible into what outwardly appears to be a run-of-the-mill pet collar (with a NOS tank strapped on for good measure). But the Float-a-Pet -- as the name so aptly implies -- has a few hidden tricks that presumably act to give you the upper hand in locating your pet after it makes a mad dash for that "bump in the night," or makes a not-exactly-premeditated splash into a body of water. The collar sports flexible solar cells that gather energy during the day, and are used to power light-emitting LEDs when a low-light environment is detected. Aside from turning Fido into a light show, a secondary function of the "Swiss Army knife of dog collars" is to automatically inflate around your pet's neck if the integrated "humidity sensor" tips off the built-in CO2 cartridge. You'll probably be happy to know that if your dog takes a plunge at night, not only will the collar inflate as advertised, but it will supposedly activate the blinking LEDs as well to help catch your eye while it wades to safety. Although this hasn't escaped the testing phase just yet, we can definitely envision serious dog aficionados snapping up this extra precaution for their precious pet, but if your canine has a thing for sticking its head way down in the water bowl while replenishing fluids (and this humidity sensor is a bit too sensitive), it could end up in some deep water of a very different kind.