JK9 Sync: Revolutionizing Urban Dog Walking

Smart Harness Wins Golden A' Design Award in 2024

The inception of JK9 Sync stemmed from an exploration into the evolution of urban dog walking. Alberto Vasquez, Istvan Vincze, and Gyula Sebo envisioned a future where dog harnesses are not just a strap but a sophisticated accessory equipped with cutting-edge technology to enhance the safety and comfort of dogs in city environments. This vision led to the creation of a smart dog harness that redefines pet care in urban settings.

JK9 Sync stands out with its high-tech knitting material that offers an ultra-ergonomic fit and exceptional tensile strength, ensuring both comfort and control. It boasts integrated hardware for precise geolocation, automatic LED lighting for visibility in low-light conditions, and movement sensors to monitor the dog's activity levels. This innovative harness ensures that dogs are not only secure but also their health and well-being are constantly assessed.

The design process involved developing a 3D knitting technique that merges polyester yarns with thermo-yarns, resulting in a durable, form-fitting harness created through steaming and pressing. This seamless unibody construction is not only efficient but also environmentally friendly, eliminating waste associated with traditional die-cutting methods. The JK9 Sync harness, unlike conventional harnesses that comprise nearly 40 parts, is elegantly simplified to just two knitted layers.

Complementing the physical harness, the Sync App provides pet owners with control over geolocation, lighting, and lifestyle functions. The app's GPS system can track a dog's location for up to two weeks, ensuring peace of mind for owners. The harness's built-in sensors offer insights into the pet's movement and behavior, alerting owners if activity levels fall below a healthy range.

The design team, which includes Vasquez, Vincze, Sebo, Gergely Kozma, Pál Jelli, and Emese Forgács, embarked on this project in 2019 and concluded the core development phase in 2021 in Budapest, Hungary. The subsequent two years were dedicated to rigorous testing and refinement. Their research delved into the future of urban dog keeping, involving surveys and interviews with dog owners across multiple countries to understand the symbiotic relationship between dogs, their owners, and the urban landscape.

One of the significant challenges the team faced was designing a product that caters to both dogs and humans, who have vastly different needs. This complexity was addressed by involving animal experts to ensure that the needs of the canine users were given equal consideration. The result is a product that not only meets the demands of human users but also enhances the quality of life for their pets.

The JK9 Sync is a testament to the innovative spirit of its creators, who have successfully merged design, technology, and functionality to serve the needs of modern urban dog owners. With its Golden A' Design Award, JK9 Sync is poised to set a new standard in pet care products, reflecting the team's exceptional talent and foresight in advancing the field of interspecies design.