Pikapoo
Pikapoo Dog Waste Pick-Up Robot by Yihan Luo and Zihang Zheng is a winner of the 2025 Iron A' Design Award in Robotics, Automaton and Automation Design.
Pikapoo is an Iron A' Design Award winner, a prestigious recognition granted to good designs that meet the professional and industrial requirements expected from well-designed creations.
Explore This Amazing WorkPikapoo Dog Waste Pick-Up Robot
With nearly 900 million dogs owned worldwide, dog waste management has become a growing environmental concern. Research indicates that up to 50% of owners neglect cleanup in secluded areas due to inconvenience or misinformation. Pikapoo introduces a smart robotic solution consisting of the PooBot, an autonomous robot that locates and collects dog waste, and the PooBase, a connected composting unit that transforms waste into fertilizer. The entire system is managed via a user-friendly mobile application.
Featured Design
Pikapoo by Yihan Luo and Zihang Zheng
Core Functionality
Dog Waste Pick-Up Robot
Accolades
Robotics, Automaton and Automation Design Award Winner in 2025.
Iron Winner
Pikapoo Dog Waste Pick-Up Robot
Pikapoo is an Iron A' Design Award winner, a prestigious recognition granted to good designs that meet the professional and industrial requirements expected from well-designed creations. Iron winners demonstrate great skill, high specialization, expert understanding, and creative capacity of their creators. Pikapoo is expected to be a highly-regarded, admired, and cherished creation that is practical and innovative. This Iron A' Design Award-winning design integrates industry best practices and has competent technical characteristics linked with know-how and talent. Pikapoo is respected for its thoroughness and is designed to provide quality of life improvements that help make the world a better place.
Winner Designer
Yihan Luo and Zihang Zheng
Yihan Luo is a highly innovative designer with a strong academic background and extensive industry experience. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Interaction Design from the prestigious ArtCenter College of Design in the United States. During her studies, she not only specialized in 2D interaction design but also actively explored the integration of interaction and product design, demonstrating a multidisciplinary design approach. In the era of rapid AI advancements, her undergraduate thesis project—an intelligent autonomous waste-cleaning robot—stood out for its unique creativity and practicality, earning multiple international design awards. This project exemplifies her ability to merge cutting-edge technology with everyday needs. For her Master’s studies, Yihan pursued a degree in Interactive Media and Game Design at the University of Southern California, focusing on Extended Reality (XR). She excels at integrating interaction design principles with Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies, creating a series of pioneering XR projects that highlight her exceptional talent in immersive experience design. Beyond academia, Yihan has gained substantial hands-on experience through jobs at leading institutions such as The Future Lab of Tsinghua University and Tencent. These experiences have not only refined her professional skills but also strengthened her ability to bridge innovative design with market demands, positioning her as a designer with both academic depth and practical expertise.
View Winner ProfileWinner Client
Yihan Luo and Zihang Zheng
Pikapoo is a sustainability-driven design initiative that explores innovative solutions for urban pet waste management. Led by interdisciplinary designer and researcher Yihan Luo, who collaborates with Zihang Zheng, the project addresses the environmental impact of uncollected dog feces in public and green spaces. Through extensive field research, stakeholder interviews, and iterative prototyping, the team identified key behavioral and infrastructural deficiencies in existing pet waste disposal systems. The initiative introduces smart collection mechanisms and modular processing units that transform pet waste into valuable resources, including health screening data and organic fertilizer. By incorporating principles of interaction design, circular economy, and community engagement, Pikapoo aims to foster cleaner public environments and promote more responsible pet ownership.
Read The Inside Story
Discover in-depth story of the Pikapoo, a Dog Waste Pick-Up Robot designed by the highly esteemed Yihan Luo and Zihang Zheng, awarded with the very prestigious A' Robotics, Automaton and Automation Design Award. Explore more about the intricate details and the story behind this unique Dog Waste Pick-Up Robot now.
Pikapoo Dog Waste Pick-Up RobotResources for Journalists
Press Kit Downloads
Download the comprehensive press kit for Pikapoo, including high-resolution images, press releases, and detailed work descriptions. Get all the essential materials you need to create compelling stories about the award-winning Pikapoo Dog Waste Pick-Up Robot.
Press Releases
Read the official press release announcing Pikapoo as a winner of the prestigious A' Design Award. The award-winner press release provides an overview of the Pikapoo Dog Waste Pick-Up Robot's unique features, innovation, and impact.
Media Showcase
Explore the media showcase dedicated to Pikapoo at Design|Newsroom, gain easy access to a wide range of media assets, including high-resolution images, videos, and additional resources related to the award-winning Pikapoo Dog Waste Pick-Up Robot.
Elevate Your Robotics Brand with the A' Design Award
Gain Global Recognition, Boost Credibility, and Attract New Customers and Media to Your Robotics, Automaton and Automation Design
- Showcase your best robotics, automaton and automation design work to a global audience
- Gain credibility and trust with prestigious awards
- Benefit from extensive media coverage and exposure
- Attract new customers and partners
- Receive expert feedback and evaluation
Yihan Luo and Zihang Zheng
"Pikapoo Dog Waste Pick-Up Robot" - Iron A' Design Award Winner
Discover Now
World's Best Designs
Explore the Wonderful World of A' Design Award
Discover World's Leading Designers, Star Architects, Greatest Innovators and Best Brands
making a positive impact with good design that benefit and advance society.
Enter your work now for a chance to join the ranks of the World's Leading Brands, Designers and Architects.
Join A' Design Award
Feel Good with A' Design Award : It's completely FREE to sign up for an account, Without any obligations to upload a design or nominate a work. Uploading your work is FREE, and you keep your copyrights. Getting a Preliminary Score is FREE and confidential, with no obligations to nominate. If you decide to nominate, there's a one-time fee to have your work voted by grand jury panel. If you win, there are no contractually obliged "winner fees". The comprehensive A' Design Prize is provided FREE to winners!
Sign-Up for Free Now Discover A' Design PrizePreliminary Deadline Ends in:
Don't miss the opportunity to get a FREE Preliminary Score for your design!
Get Your Free Preliminary Score NowRegister now to receive:
- Indicative and free preliminary scores
- Additional jury feedback and suggestions
- Opportunity to improve your presentation
The registration process is simple:
- Create a free account
- Upload your design for free
- Receive your Preliminary Score within a few days