PCE News
Leading the Pack: Lakers design innovative virtual dog leash.
June 02, 2025
Nick Hayhoe ’08, along with his colleagues at Fleetwood Electronics, designed a virtual dog leash, called Heel, to automatically keep your dog near you while you're on the move. Nick completed a dual degree in mechanical engineering and product design and manufacturing engineering at Grand Valley State University and went on to acquire his master’s degree in product design and development from Northwestern University.
Working for the employee-owned Fleetwood Electronics in Holland, MI, Nick, who is the vice president of sales & innovation for electronics, as well as fellow GV alumni, Brian Harvey ’09 and Phase 1 Engineering representative John Videtich ’07, helped design, test, and produce Heel. Nick also noted vice president of operations, Travis Wilson, as another key member of the project.
The system this group developed automatically measures how far the collar is from the remote and provides correction when your dog approaches the boundary, similar to traditional invisible fences.