Young innovator designs smart pet carrier to combat heat stress
Enrico Miguel Velasquez’s study eventually led to the creation of the Peplab Active Cooling Carrier, with an integrated cooling module that fights heat stress and is detachable for safe and easy clean-up.
Benilde Industrial Design graduate Enrico Miguel Velasquez with his cat Pepper.
Traveling with one’s furry friends may cause unnecessary stress for both the owner and the pet, especially in a tropical country such as the Philippines.
To offer a versatile and ergonomic solution on the transport of our feline companions, 22-year-old Filipino visionary Enrico Miguel Velasquez created a smart pet carrier with active cooling.
“Cats are extremely sensitive to heat, and during travel, they’re often placed inside carriers that trap warm air with no temperature regulation,” he noted. “Most existing carriers are built only for containment, not for comfort or safety during hot conditions.”
Designed to ensure the well-being of cats and the convenience of fur parents during trips to the vet or out-of-town family vacations, Peplab Active Cooling Carrier prioritizes airflow and is made from lightweight yet durable polypropylene.
Best Thesis Awardee Enrico Miguel Velasquez shares a light moment with his loved ones.
Photographs courtesy of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde
Velasquez’s cat, named Pepper, was the main inspiration behind his capstone project. While they were in transit, he noticed his fur baby was panting heavily due to the sultry weather. All he wanted was to ease Pepper’s discomfort, however his options were limited as they were in a moving vehicle.
“My cat was getting stressed when we were commuting with her from Laguna to Bulacan due to the unbearable heat,” he shared. “That moment pushed me to design what could prevent heatstroke for pets. It’s a way to give owners more control and peace of mind during travel.”
Velasquez, who recently graduated magna cum laude from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design degree, conducted both quantitative and qualitative research for his work that was hailed with the Best Thesis Award.
It was judged based on the criteria of the World Design Organization, a globally recognized non-governmental network which celebrates the power of industrial design to improve the economic, social, cultural, and environmental quality of life.
