Marlboro Teens Invent Dog Tracking Collar

Marlboro Township, NJ - It all started when Gabe Argush's dog got loose. Again.

It was hardly the first time Archie, the Morganville teen's chocolate lab, had run away. The family had long wanted to install an electric fence, but because a stream ran through their property, it was impossible to bury the wires.

Gabe, a senior at Marlboro High School, and his friend, Dean Dijour, knew there had to be a solution. They came up with a device that's part electric fence/part pet tracker — but better. They named it CollaRadar, and they were contestants on the hit TBS show America's Greatest Makers this past spring.

Both Dean and Gabe are in the magnate program at Marlboro's Business Learning Center.

How CollaRadar works:

CollaRadar is a simple device that can be attached to any dog's collar or harness. Unlike an electric fence, it's completely wireless.

Families install the CollaRadar app on their cell phones or desktop and, in Google maps, set up a polygon-type perimeter over their property. Using a GPS chip and motion sensors, if the dog gets too close to the perimeter, a high-frequency noise or vibration starts going off in the device, alerting pooch to stay away.

From there, it only gets better. Should your dog break the perimeter, CollaRadar will send constant text messages back to the server, with the GPS coordinates of your pet's location. There is GPS technology and SMS text messaging capabilities in the chip, so even if your dog roams to an area with no WiFi, you'll receive texts giving latitude and longitude.

At first, the teens simply created CollaRadar on their own. But then Gabe's dad saw an ad for America's Greatest Makers, produced by Mark Burnett (Survivor, Shark Tank, The Voice), and told the boys they should apply. They went to casting calls in California, and before long, were pitching their invention before celebrity judges such as Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and executives with Intel.

"If you told me a few months ago I'd be presenting a start-up before the age of 18, I'd say you're crazy," said Dean. "But we want to prove that no matter what age you are, you can make anything you want."

They came up in second place, falling just short of the $1 million grand prize awarded by Intel. But they're not dwelling on their loss: Gabe will go to the University of Virginia this fall, and Dean will head to Carnegie Mellon. And their work on CollaRadar is not finished.

Dean and Gabe are currently perfecting the Bluetooth technology inside the chip, with the idea that pet owners can one day open up a doggy door, feed the dog or give him water, all while away from home.

"We beat invisible fencing, and we beat the pet trackers," said Dean. "Yes, we are kids, but we're also full-blown entrepreneurs."