Party New York, a creative lab with designers and engineers create digital
content for our big brand partners to promote their various products. The group
challenged themselves to create a unique product of their own. The group
created Disco Dog, the first smartphone-controlled LED Dog vest. The dog vest
acts as a low resolution display using 256 RGB LEDs. It can displays a variety
of animated patterns and custom scrolling text in thousands of colors.
A smartphone app allows users to choose an animation or type in a message
using the company’s Disco Dog smartphone application. The group is using a
Kickstarter campaign to raise money to further develop the product and
eventually bring it mass production. The group’s Kickstarter campaign website
said, “It’s a fun way to celebrate your dog, and also keeps her visible and
safe when it’s dark out. If your dog runs too far away and the connection is
lost, the vest will show an automatic “LOST DOG” message, asking bystanders to
help the lost pup find her way back.”
The company plans to use the funding to support the first production run of
80 Disco Dog LED vests. Many of the vests will go to the companies backers, and
the company will demonstrate the remaining vests at its pop-up Disco Dog launch
event in New York City. The group is inviting the local community to the event
along with the company’s VIP backers and their dogs. At the event the VIP
backers can experience the Disco Dog vest first hand and try it for
themselves.
Party New York indicated that the project is still in the beta phase and the
group is iterating the product’s physical design and improving the mobile app
and gauging public interest. The group intends to use the funding from
Kickstarter help quickly develop Disco Dog into a product that can be produced
on a larger scale.
The vest has multiple animated modes including sparkle, stripes, firefly,
and alarm. The app allows users to scroll any custom text on the vest. “LOST
DOG” mode automatically activates when dog goes out of range. It comes with a
3.7 V lithium polymer rechargeable battery
The Disco Dog mobile app allows control the LEDs from a distance. Users can
select animations or choose text mode and type in their own message. The app
features controls for brightness and color, including two-color gradients that
flow across the vest. Party New York says that they will continue to add fun
and useful animations as they refine the application.
The company pointed out that it is facing the challenge of moving from
high-quality prototypes to high-quality final products noting that its
expertise in rapid prototyping will help solve potential problems that may
require improving the electronics or the fabric vest using unfamiliar
techniques.
The group plans to also tap into expertise gleaned from the relationships
that the company has built with professionals in both electronic product design
and garment/fashion design.
