Industrial - Bachelor

REACTA: Restoring Control to the Everyday Walk

Reacta is an adaptive dog-walking handle designed to help users regain confidence and control in unpredictable situations. Created for older and assisted users, it anticipates sudden leash tension through a two-mode pulley system that regulates force before it reaches the wrist. By shifting control from reaction to prevention, Reacta enables safer, calmer, and more intuitive walks that restore independence through responsive design.

Harrison Whitten

The problem

Dog walking often seems instinctive, yet for many older or assisted users, it becomes an unpredictable negotiation between control and reaction. A sudden pull can strain joints, disrupt balance, and destroy confidence, gradually turning a daily routine into a cautious task. The challenge is not just physical strength but the ability to anticipate and respond before control is lost. When the leash reacts faster than the user, safety, comfort, and independence are compromised, exposing a problem that design has often overlooked.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT

This image captures the reality behind the problem: a moment of tension where awareness and control fall out of sync. It sets the scene for understanding how small lapses in anticipation can lead to strain and imbalance, forming the foundation for the next stage of research.

RESEARCH QUESTION

This early understanding of the problem and the experiences behind it led to a defining question, one that shaped the direction of my research and design.

How can design restore confidence and empower older or assisted users by reducing moments of imbalance and physical strain during everyday dog walking?

RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

Research combined surveys, interviews and real-world observation to better understand the challenges of everyday dog walking. Surveys captured broad behavioural trends among regular dog owners, while a semi-structured interview with a user who had previously experienced injuries during dog walking and a structured interview with a professional dog walker offered detailed, contrasting perspectives. A series of observations at local dog parks provided real-time insight into user behaviour and environmental factors, forming a strong foundation for the following research outcomes.

DATA SUMMARY

The research identified control, confidence and contextual awareness as key barriers to safe and enjoyable dog walking. Over half of surveyed users changed when or where they walked due to safety concerns, while others linked their dog’s size and strength to reduced confidence. The semi-structured interview highlighted the importance of contextual awareness, seeing risks before they happen, while the structured interview reinforced the need for preventative design, as existing products rely solely on reactive measures after the pull has already occurred.

You dont see the risks until its too late

Semi-structured interview with regular dog walker, queensland, 2025

We don’t start the walk until all dogs are calm

DOG WALKING PROFESSIONAL, QUEENSLAND, 2025

Instead of resisting, she released the leash entirely

personal observation at local dog park, queensland, 2025

Translating Research Themes into Design Opportunities

The four recurring themes revealed the layered nature of control loss in dog walking, from physical strength imbalance to environmental unpredictability and psychological response. At the centre lies contextual awareness, connecting each theme through anticipation and reaction. These insights directly informed five design implications that prioritise safety, adaptability, confidence, and intuitive human-dog interaction, forming the foundation of the design outcome.

Take a closer look, the full report is just below:

Name
RESEARCH REPORT – WALKING WITH CONFIDENCE
File Type
application
File Size
1 MB
Download File

from ideation to final design

DESIGN APPROACH

The development of Reacta followed a structured yet adaptive design process, moving from early ideation sketches to refined prototypes and final assembly. Each stage focused on improving control, ergonomics, and mechanical response through iterative testing and refinement. After every stage, insights led back to the drawing board, re-sketching, reshaping, and re-evaluating ideas until a balanced, resolved final design emerged.

meet reacta

Reacta isn’t just a leash handle; it’s a response. Designed for the split-second moments that catch you off guard, it reacts before you have to. Every curve, mechanism, and motion is built to absorb tension, protect the wrist, and restore balance when control is lost. It transforms uncertainty into confidence, letting users walk with ease, awareness and trust, even when the unpredictable happens.

key features

HOW REACTA WORKS

When the dog suddenly pulls, the user’s hand naturally tightens, engaging the trigger and releasing the leash. This split-second delay gives the user more time to adapt and react. Once the trigger is released, the PCB re-engages the motor, activating the electromagnetic brake and friction disc to dampen force and restore control. A micro gearbox motor delivering roughly 0.25 Nm of torque provides smooth, consistent retraction through the PCB’s firmware, maintaining balanced tension throughout.

DESIGN THAT COMMUNICATES CONTROL

Reactas design communicates calm control and intuitive confidence. Its soft, rounded geometry and gentle undercuts create a sense of comfort and familiarity, while the forward tape gives a natural sense of direction and motion. The cream body softens the overall form, allowing the orange accents to highlight key touchpoints for control and interaction. A transparent shell reveals the internal mechanism, offering visual reassurance and trust. Together, these elements balance warmth and precision, making the product feel both functional and human.

DESIGNED FOR DURABILITY AND MANUFACTURE

Reacta was developed with manufacturing efficiency and durability at its core. The shell is injection moulded from HDPE for strength, impact resistance, and recyclability, while TPU overmoulding provides tactile grip and a watertight seal during production. Aluminium 6061-T6 components are CNC machined for precision, strength and lightweight performance. Polycarbonate was selected for the transparent section, offering similar toughness to HDPE but with greater clarity to expose the internal mechanism. Each process ensures efficiency, reliability, and readiness for scalable manufacture.

what this means for users

Reacta changes how users experience control and safety. It softens unpredictable moments, making walks smoother, calmer and more confident for both user and their dog.

UNPREDICTABILITY INTO CONFIDENCE

Reacta gives users back a sense of control, calm and confidence in moments that usually feel unpredictable. Instead of bracing for impact, users feel the leash respond with them, absorbing tension and softening the pull before it becomes a problem. It transforms the simple act of dog walking into something smoother and safer, taking pressure off the wrist, mind and the moment. The result is a walk that feels natural, stable and empowering again.

ECOSYSTEM

The magnetic dock keeps Reacta always ready to go, just drop it in, and it aligns, connects and recharges without thinking. It’s a small touch that makes every walk start seamlessly.

DESIGN THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Harrison Whitten

Harrison is a final year Industrial Design student driven by curiosity, precision, and meaningful design. With a strong passion for manufacturing, concept sketching, and mechanical problem-solving, he thrives on the back-and-forth between CAD modelling, ideation, and hands-on prototyping, where ideas evolve through craft and iteration.