Man's best friend needs an app, too.
PupPod launched on Kickstarter Tuesday. It's a gaming platform that keeps dogs mentally and physically active while you stay plugged in, even when you're at work.
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Here’s how it works. Your cute little canine plays with a toy that is wirelessly connected to a food dispenser. If the dog completes a given action, a treat will come out of the dispenser. It’s a self-learning toy, so the dog has to figure out what to do in order to get a treat. You can challenge your dog by introducing a new variable, such as a different time interval or sound that alerts the dog on what to do and when to do it.
And, of course, there’s an app for that.
Via your smartphone or desktop, you can see what your pet is up to even when you're not home. You’ll receive a notification when your dog starts playing, and with the PupPod Hub’s built-in 720p HD camera, you can live stream a video from virtually anywhere.
You can also use the app to set limits for how many treats your dog can earn and change the variables of the game. The PupCloud saves data and analytics that show your dog’s progress and allows you to share videos, pictures and stats with the PupPod community. So if your Facebook friends are tired of seeing photos of you and your dog, at least you know there’s one place you belong.
This isn't the first time a company has used technology to connect people and pets. Last month, PetBot launched an Indiegogo for a selfie-taking treat dispenser so your pets can send you selfies from home.
PupPod CEO and Co-Founder Erick Eidus says they’ve tested the system with more than 200 dogs of various ages, breeds and personalities. The game isn’t for dogs of all personalities, though — Eidus’ fearful rescue dog included. But throughout five generations of prototypes, Eidus has built upon his background in user experience design to emphasize the dog's perspective of usability. “We’ve tried to really focus on what would the dog invent if the dog was an engineer,” Eidus says.
PupPod Kickstarter backers will receive different components of the PupPod system based on their pledge amount, with some packages set to deliver as early as February 2016.