this post was submitted on 30 Apr 2025
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I have an idea for a product that I think it is remarkable it's not already a thing. It would be easy to make and produce, and I imagine manufacturing would be cheap, but could be sold at a decent price.

I know I'll need a designer or engineer to help me with a virtual design. I'll also need a programmer as the product is a "smart" product and would link back to an app. So I'd need an app dev and someone to program the functionality of the device.

So assuming I get all that, then what? How does one get something like this manufactured, assuming it gets that far? I have a potential source from which I could get a business loan, but would at least need a virtual mockup and a plan.

I would love to see this become a reality but it feels daunting and I have no idea how to make it all come together. Any insight from the lemmings is much appreciated.

Edit: I've seen some prototyping and invention help companies, but they feel skeevy and Id have no doubt the terms end up with most of the profit going to them.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

FYI

Laser light play alone, however, does not allow cats to complete the hunting sequence; cats cannot β€˜catch’ the prey. It has been suggested that this might trigger frustration and stress, both of which can contribute to compulsive behaviors.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8388446/

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, I've seen this before. Well not this specific article, but the idea that the laser pointer doesn't give them that tactile satisfaction. Again, we do play with our cats with lots of touch toys. Just thought this may be a fun other toy.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

The biggest issue with the idea is power. Needing a bunch of batteries or a wall plug to keep this thing spinning a few different motors, and possibly a camera with a computer running depending on features mentioned here. This would likely only run for a few hours on battery.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago

Yeah, that's something I've been trying to work out. I was thinking it would be plugged in and included those wall covering tracks in the package, but ultimately that's no solution. And if it's mounted getting it down to charge or replace batteries doesn't make much sense.