Cats and dogs love to play, but pet owners can’t always be home to do that with them because of other commitments, including work and travel.
PlayDate is a remote-controlled ball toy that engages dogs and cats, and records HD video of them playing with it. The pet owner controls the interactive camera remotely from anywhere, via an app on Android and iOS mobile devices. Pet owners can hear their pets through a microphone in the ball and also speak to the pets through a speaker in the ball.
Ask any dog owner: Having to leave their pooch behind to go to work every morning is a heartbreaking moment. Making it worse is knowing their furry friend have to endure being alone for hours at a time, forcing them to entertain themselves. What if there was a way to alleviate that guilt while giving dogs the stimulation they require?
The rugged GoBone, a connected dog toy, is the perfect solution. Owners simply pour some treats inside as motivation and tap it afterwards. This prompts it to autonomously play with their dogs for up to eight hours at a time, going to sleep when it detects it being played with and re-engaging when it’s not. The patent-pending software within adapts the GoBone’s play based on breed, weight, age, and other variables to ensure constant variety.
While keeping a dog is an extremely rewarding life decision, it’s also a time-consuming, sometimes draining endeavour. With so many aspects to constantly think about, many pet owners would quickly welcome a device into their lives that would help with it all.
The KYON smart collar is exactly that, a thin, lightweight collar equipped with a wide range of connectivity features that helps owners monitor the well-being of their little furry loved ones. KYON works using Bluetooth in conjunction with a base station or a companion smartphone app to do this, featuring embedded GPS technology and an altimeter to ensure owners know exactly where their pooch is at all time.
Lack of stimulation is the main reason behind the physical and mental issues that arise in household cats, leaving many owners seeking solutions to keep their little furry friends out while they’re out for the day.
Appearing like the head of an old WowWee robot, the RollyCat is a smart toy robot that automatically plays with a cat when its owner is not around, tracking its fitness levels while it does. Three modes define the RollyCat’s operation: its automatic mode reverts the home into a primal space where the cat can spend hours chasing around it an ever-escaping RollyCat, a manual mode facilitated by its iOS or Android app lets owners get in on the phone, and its fitness tracking capabilities saves the length and quality of playtime for later so owners are better informed.
Many would unequivocally agree: dogs should speak. Unfortunately they don’t, but that doesn’t stop people from trying to help them do so. While truly useful versions of this technology is are still a long way off (even the NoMoreWoof is only a working prototype), it doesn’t mean there isn’t some fun to be had.
Give your dog a digital voice and keep up with their daily movements with the Flipaw smart collar, an accessory that sends SMS messages, posts Facebook statuses, and tweets all about a dog’s daily activities in a fun way. During setup, owners complete a short personality profile for their pooch that determine the kind of messages generated when the Flipaw triggers sensors placed around the home. Combined with variables like the location of the sensor, weather, dates, and crowdsourced data, some pretty snarky and genuinely funny messages can be generated. 2000 stories have already been drafted with many more on the way when doggy data is dished out.
Pets may be cute and cuddly, but make no mistake: they require tons of attention and work to keep happy and healthy. At the end of the day, doing so cultivates a relationship unlike any other — even if owners start the day with a kitchen floor full of garabage or an unexpected, ahem, suprise in a spare corner of the home.
The team behind the Chord Collar wants to keep pets happy, healthy, and engaged while reducing the aspects of pet ownership that are annoying or inconvenient by leveraging a bit of connected technology.
The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-connected collar allows owners to consistently provide rewards-based training in combination with its companion iOS and Android app, alerting owners to what needs to be worked and exactly how to do so based on the pet’s movements during the day. Health is also a big focus. The Chord Collar tracks heart rate levels and movement, letting owners know when the pet might be under the weather.
Nothing escapes the inevitable fusion of the mundane with Bluetooth technology. It’s in everything from wallets to car diagnostic boards, giving smartphone owners far greater control over things that previously were beyond their wireless reach.
CARLOS tends this trend in a much furrier direction, combining smart design with wireless capabilities to transform the dog walk into a truly 21st century activity. The sleekly designed smart leash with a host of built in characteristics setting it apart from the norm.
Physically, the handle of the leash houses various implements that make any walk easier and safer, things like a night light, bag holder, treat compartment, and an ultrasound insect repellent. Users can even charge their phone with the USB port present at its base, so dog lovers can give their phones one last bit of energy before the day starts.
Dogs are arguably the greatest pet a person can have. They’re loyal, fun, and offer invaluable companionship. They are, however, fairly high maintenance because of their size, bathroom needs, and required walks.
The Connected Collar promises to lend a hand in training and keeping a dog as a pet. This Bluetooth-enabled device is powered by an accompanying app. It offers health monitoring, training tools such as simulated leash tugging and whistle blows, GPS locating, LED lights, and more. This collar promises to help with controlling barking and running away as well. Connected Collar also teaches dogs simple commands like “sit” and “stay”. Take that, Apple Watch.
This collar makes any pet owner seem a little lazy. However, its functions are dynamic and valuable. One will cost dog owners $120 for a black collar with delivery in August 2015. This smart collar is looking for a goal of $25,000 on Indiegogo.
Pets make a great addition to any home, but can be a pain when owners want to travel. There always needs to be someone around to make sure the pets get fed.
Uknekt offers a way for pet owners to not only feed their pets while they’re gone, but also interact with them. The feeder comes equipped with a compartment for food, water, and treats. Controlled by an Android and iOS compatible app, owners can control the flow of sustenance for their pets. Uknekt also has a microphone, speaker, camera, and motion sensor so that footage and sounds from the pets are transmitted to the app. Uknekt also comes equipped with a backup battery and waterproof cable.
Uknekt joins similar products such as the PetPal and Romeow, but is more versatile. Not only does it allow for interaction, but it also serves up food, water, and treats. For their own, backers can donate $259 to the campaign. This product is looking to raise $87,500 on Indiegogo.
It’s a common nightmare for dog owners: their beloved pet has run out of the house and they can’t find the pooch anywhere.
Where’s Nellie is a GPS tracking device designed to ease a dog owner’s mind if their pet runs off and can’t be found. The Nellie Beacon attaches securely to a dog’s collar and works in conjunction with an iOS and Android app. The beacon communicates up to six miles away with the included Nellie Base unit. If a dog is missing, the owner just has to press the locate button on the app and, in a few minutes, Where’s Nellie will pinpoint the location of the dog on the smartphone. It costs $179 and will ship in January. Its maker is hoping to raise $100,000 by May 16.
The device has promise despite coming along after several similar products, including Lucky Tag and WUF. However, Nellie seems to be superior to several rivals in a few ways. First, it makes use of several radio technologies. If the base unit is near the beacon, it uses Bluetooth LE technology. But if the dog is out of range, Semtech’s LoRa long-range wireless solution is used instead. If the pet owner wants to pinpoint exactly where the dog is, GPS is used.
Second, there are no monthly fees involved. Third, its batteries will last more than 365 days because the Beacon’s patent-pending technology uses low-power components and software, according to its Kickstarter campaign. That’s far more battery life than most rival products.