Stepping in dog waste is a common urban problem that creates hygiene issues, ruins footwear, and frustrates pedestrians. Despite existing rules, irresponsible pet owners often leave waste behind, and traditional enforcement methods like fines aren’t always effective. Meanwhile, pedestrians have no real-time way to avoid these hazards. One possible solution could be an augmented reality (AR) application that helps users detect and avoid waste as they walk.

How It Could Work

The proposed application might use smartphone or smart glasses cameras to identify dog waste in real time. The system could overlay warnings, such as glowing outlines or icons, on detected waste to alert users. Key features could include:

• AI Detection: Computer vision trained to recognize waste based on shape, texture, and location.
• Crowdsourced Reporting: Users could tag missed waste to improve accuracy.
• Route Suggestions: Integration with navigation apps to suggest cleaner paths.

The app might also allow customization—for example, letting users disable puddle alerts if they only want waste detection.

Who Could Benefit

Different groups could find this useful, including:

• Pedestrians: Runners, parents with strollers, and commuters who frequently encounter waste.
• Responsible Dog Owners: They could use it to find and clean up missed waste.
• Local Governments: Municipalities might use aggregated data to improve sanitation efforts.

Possible Next Steps

An initial version could start as a basic smartphone app with manual hazard tagging. If successful, later versions might include automated detection and smart glasses integration. Revenue could come from ads, premium features, or partnerships with pet brands promoting cleanup products.

While avoiding dog waste might seem trivial, small frustrations can add up in daily life. A simple AR tool could make walks more pleasant while encouraging cleaner public spaces.