Petcube plans to release a new pet detection technology that will be compatible with both its Petcube Play and Petcube Bites devices. The feature uses artificial intelligence to recognize pets and then initiate selfie videos of the pet or even to allow the pet to initiate a two-way video call. Petcube announced the new feature today here at CES in Las Vegas, with a release date set for spring of this year.
Petcube products already offer numerous ways for owners to interact with their pets — Petcube Play has a laser built-in that you can control via mobile app, and Petcube Bites lets you fling out treats on the fly as a reward, or simply schedule them to dispense at regular intervals. They both have Facebook Live and Amazon Alexa integration and allow you to see, talk to, and record video of your pet.
While many pet cameras offer similar options for viewing your pet remotely, this new Petcube feature is unique in that it allows the pet to start an interaction. Whenever a pet is captured in front of the device’s camera, a video recording will automatically be triggered. Then, the clip will be pushed to the owner as an app notification. Owners can then accept the video call “request” from their pet, save the selfie clip to their phone, share it to social platforms, or simply view it later on the Petcube app.
Petcube says it is also developing tools for behavior diagnostics, which could help owners be more proactive about the health of their pet while away.