CES 2019: VARRAM shows robots for exercising pets — VIDEO
Robotics company VARRAM is pushing for robots for the entire family — including pets.
The Pet Fitness Robot is a small, two-wheeled robot that can dispense treats or dangle cat toys. It’s meant to encourage physical activity in cats and dogs, according to VARRAM marketing associate Loi Tran.
“When you leave your pets at home, they can get bored, depressed, overweight or suffer separation anxiety,” she said at VARRAM’s exhibit at this year’s CES convention. The robot “interacts with them through a reward system.”
According to a 2017 survey from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, pet obesity affects 60 percent of cats and 56 percent of dogs in America.
The Pet Fitness Robot uses artificial intelligence and can run for 10 hours after two hours of charging time. The device also connects to smartphones via Bluetooth, and allows users to control it manually.
The robot is currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo, but is expected to launch on Amazon for around $99.
Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0233. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.