Student bags science award for inventing dog-repellent shoes
Melike Çalkap - ORDU
A seventh-grade student in the northeastern province of Ordu has secured second place in a science competition for inventing shoes that emit ultrasonic sounds to deter stray dogs.
Talha Yaktı, a student at Erikceli Secondary School in Ordu’s Kumru district, was inspired to invent the shoes after being attacked by a stray dog himself.
Yaktı worked alongside his science teacher, Galip Kerim, to design the shoes. They engineered the shoes to emit ultrasonic sounds, which are imperceptible to humans but can agitate dogs, prompting them to move away. The ultrasonic emitter is activated with each step, creating a constant deterrent zone around the wearer.
The invention secured the second position in the regional technology design category of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) Middle School Students Research Projects Competition, competing against 104 other projects.
According to Kerim, the shoes were tested on around 15 dogs and proved effective in keeping them at a distance. He emphasized that the ultrasonic sounds cause no harm to the animals but simply prompt them to move away.
Yaktı's dog-repelling shoes offer a potentially safer alternative for people in areas with stray dog populations. The design's simplicity makes it a practical solution for everyday use.
The mechanism employed in the shoes functions akin to the LED shoes that were prevalent in the past. The ultrasonic emitter activates whenever pressure is applied to the shoe.
