Let a new robotic ball play with your lonely pet when you aren't home
LAS VEGAS -- Gosh!'s new easyPlay pet ball is either your dog's new best friend, or its greatest nightmare.
The easyPlay is a goofy little robotic ball that lets pet owners play with their animals while away from home via smartphone app. A feeder lets users store treats and program feedings up to three times throughout the day, accompanied by a pre-recorded voice message alerting your pet to snack time.
The food encourages play, as treats won't fall out until the pet knocks the ball around a few times.
The robot also features a camera so users can watch their pets interact with the ball and a two-way speaker system that lets users speak to their pets and hear them react.
And in keeping with the rise in pet trackers, the robot logs data on how often your pet interacts with the ball. The idea is to alleviate boredom for animals stuck at home alone for long periods of time.
But doesn't a free-rolling, talking robotic ball horrify pets who have zero understanding of the tech behind the ball?
Adam Anderson of Gosh! tells Mashable that about half the pets they've tested easyPlay with take to the toy immediately, while others are initially hesitant. Once they've interacted with it a few times, Anderson says they tend to warm up to the bot.
Gosh! will launch easyPlay, its latest pet tech offering, on Kickstarter in February and hopes to ship in May should it see full funding. The company has had success in the past with crowdfunding campaigns-- in August it drew funding for its easyFeeder, an automatic food dispenser for pets.
EasyPlay is expected to retail for $249.00 and the company anticipates shipment by May.
Topics CES
