PRE2025 1 Group1

Name	Student number	Study	E-mail
Robert Arnhold	1847848	Mechanical Engineering	r.w.arnhold@student.tue.nl
Sietse Bosman
Octavian Astefanei	1836374	Electrical Engineering	o.astefanei@student.tue.nl
Anne Willems	1631810	Electrical Engineering	a.m.j.e.willems@student.tue.nl
Kerim Gjergjizi	1813420	Electrical Engineering	k.gjergjizi@student.tue.nl
Lucas Spronk	1563564	Computer Science	l.spronk@student.tue.nl

Plan

Concept Introduction

This project aims to design and prototype a smart hamster cage. Hamster cages have long featured similar designs, features and limitations. While a hamster wheel may give the hamster the ability to exercise, a water bottle give it the ability to drink and a food bowl the ability to eat, these are all parts of the hamster cage that are long outdated. In our modern world there is a market gap: a hamster cage that can help care for your hamster, teach you more about it, and let you better interact with your beloved pet. If successful, this proof-of-concept opens the door to an expansion towards larger pet enclosures such as rabbits, guinea pigs, and more.

Objectives

• Provide reliable care for the hamster, even while users are away
• Help users more effectively care for their hamsters
• Other, user-defined objectives that will be found via user research

Users

General Target Audience:

The target audience consist of hamster owners themselves, as well as anyone else involved in caring for the hamster, e.g. owner's family or roommates.

People of various ages own hamsters, but they are mostly "millennials, aged 25-39", who "make up about one in three small-pet owners" (also includes fish, birds and some other animals) [1]. There is a strong correlation with younger aged owners, especially the presence of household members under the age of 12; "approximately 72% of hamster owns are under the age of 44" [2], and "nearly 90% of households with hamsters include children, and 87% of those households have children under 12 years old" [3].

While small-pet owners in the US tend to earn lower incomes than other pet owners [2], they tend to spend more on their pets. With a significant margin too, averaging about 252USD/month as opposed to the next largest, dog owners, with around 140USD/month. Furthermore, a general trend in all pet owners was found when comparing spending by gender and relationship status; women spent 117USD/month on their pets compared to men spending 137USD/month, and married owners spent 132USD/month as opposed to single owners spending 129USD/month and unmarried partners with 124USD/month. Finally, users most willing to spend on their pets were led by the 18-24 age range with 174USD/month, followed by 25-34 with 142USD/month, 35-44 with 108USD/month, and further decreasing with age. Noteworthy is, however, that the age group with the lowest average spending is ages 14-17 with 73USD/month [4]. While there is a general willingness to spend upwards of 100USD on a pet every month, the final product should aim to appeal to users of all ages, including allowing young owners to buy the hamster cage themselves without being a burden to their parents.

Finally, owners of small pets are most commonly "urban dwellers, particularly those [living] in apartments or smaller living spaces". They "disproportionately own compact pets due to space constraints" [5], and since hamsters are quite restricted in their spacial requirements compared to other larger animals or animals with special living conditions, hamsters are very popular in this demographic category. However, the majority of families with children live in

To conclude, a preliminary target market can be narrowed down to users between 12 and 44 years old, typically either children or their parents, who either care for the hamster themselves or live with family who helps take care of the pet. Users will typically be willing to spend upwards of 73 to 137USD/month, which suggests a further increased price range for a one-time purchase.

Example User Profiles:

Emma, 12 years old (student)

• Recently got her first hamster as a pet.
• Parents want her to learn responsibility but also want to ensure pet safety.
• Would benefit from automated feeding/water alerts and activity data.
• Likes fun graphics showing hamster’s daily life.

Michael, 28 years old (busy professional)

• Works long hours and sometimes travels for a few days.
• Wants peace of mind that his hamster has food/water when away.
• Needs reliable notifications and refill reminders.
• Less interested in visuals, more in core “care assurance” features.

Sofia, 38 years old (parent of two children)

• Sarah has two children, ages 7 and 10.
• Children are responsible for daily care but Sarah supervises to ensure the hamster’s well-being.
• Values tools that make pet care educational and fun.
• Wants quick access to reliable information to monitor the hamster throughout the day.

User Requirements

• A camera needs to be added to the hamster cage, which such that the owner can monitor the hamster off site.
• A automatic feeder needs to be added, which adheres to a healthy feeding pattern. In a way that the availaility of the user is not required for the feeding.
• A measurement system for the food and water intake needs to be added. This to spot abnormalities in the eating pattern of the hamster.

Bibliography

• [1] Packaged Facts. (2019, February 13). Baby boomers and millennials are redefining modern pet ownership trends, reports Packaged Facts. Business Insider. https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/baby-boomers-and-millennials-are-redefining-modern-pet-ownership-trends-reports-packaged-facts-1028733944
• [2] Zoonerdy. (2022, October 19). What is the number of hamsters in the United States? Zoonerdy. https://zoonerdy.com/what-is-the-number-of-hamsters-in-the-united-states
• [3] PR Newswire. (2013, February 12). Pet population and pet owner trends in the U.S.: Fish, birds, reptiles, and small animals. PR Newswire. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pet-population-and-pet-owner-trends-in-the-us-fish-birds-reptiles-and-small-animals-191262301.html
• [4] Petfood Industry. (2022, July 27). Survey examines U.S. pet ownership demographics. Petfood Industry. https://www.petfoodindustry.com/pet-food-market/article/15464848/survey-examines-us-pet-ownership-demographics
• [5] P Market Research. (2023). Household small animal treats market. P Market Research. https://pmarketresearch.com/hc/household-small-animal-treats-market/

Weekly Tasks

Week 1

Name	Total Time Spent	Task Breakdown
Robert Arnhold
Sietse Bosman
Octavian Astefanei
Anne Willems
Kerim Gjergjizi
Lucas Spronk

Week 2

Name	Total Time Spent	Task Breakdown
Robert Arnhold
Sietse Bosman
Octavian Astefanei
Anne Willems
Kerim Gjergjizi
Lucas Spronk