Foaling Phone Case

Mid 2016, Bayly were contacted by a company to design a pouch for a smartphone. “Simple!” we thought, until they explained that it was for a horse. An App on the phone monitors the mare during the last stages of pregnancy using the phone’s camera and sensors.

The main challenges were:

• To design a product that could fit and protect a wide range of phone sizes,
• Expose the phone’s built in camera so that the birth can be recorded or viewed remotely,
• Be comfortable on the horse’s head, and
• To fasten securely to the horse’s halter.

The App itself, Foal App, is an alternative to dated and expensive foaling monitors. Instead of purchasing a full system of transmitters, receivers and other monitoring electronics, Foal App allows you to use a smartphone which is attached to the mare’s halter using the Foal App pouch.

Design Details

The material choice was important and the final product features a neoprene body with transparent front face for a clear camera view. The neoprene was used due to its comfort, elasticity, and water resistance.

Velcro is used to secure the phone in the pouch and fasten the pouch to the horse’s harness. Overlapping velcro panels give reliable attachment to the harness so that any rubbing from the horse or pulling on by another horse would not allow the pouch to detach or the phone to fall out.

Prototype

The first prototype pouch and App was used in December 2016 to monitor the birth of a very cute little filly. An alarm sounded to indicate that the mare was laying down and the owner could monitor the video stream clearly through the clear window on the pouch. Although this time the foaling went smoothly, had there been any complications the owner would have been able to see via her smartphone and be able to help or call assistance.

Are you looking for a team to design a physical product that supports your digital product design? Are you looking for a physical accessory for your tech product business? The product design team at Bayly are waiting for your call. Contact the Melbourne team today on +61 3 9413 9000 or send us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Don't miss out. Sign up for our newsletter now!

Foal App - Coming Soon to the App Store and Google Play