Petcube will let you play with your furry friend via iOS app
"Pet parents" who go into full guilt mode when they're away from home and the pooch or cat is all alone will soon have a way to keep their favorite animal companion happy. Petcube is a Kickstarter project that just reached its initial funding goal (hence we're writing about it) and is now looking at stretch goals that will provide hours of fun for owners and pets alike.
The Petcube is a small cube that contains a video camera, a microphone, a speaker and a controllable laser pointer. That cube sits on a floor or table, and is connected to your home WiFi network. When you're away, you can use a mobile app to not only see what your puppy or kitten is up to, but also converse with them. As if that's not enough, you can play the old "follow the red dot" game with your animal through the app.
So what are the stretch goals? If the Petcube gets to US$150,000 of funding, the ability for you to receive push notifications when your dog or cat is making loud noises will be added. When funding gets to $200,000, the Petcube will gain the ability to record a laser dot exercise routine and play it back at any time, thus keeping your pet engaged even when you're busy. And finally, should Petcube pull in $250,000 or more of funding, the team will add the ability to notify you through motion detection of when your animal is near the cube and wants to play.
The Petcube is expected to retail for $199 when it arrives on the market next year, but early backers can get a discount.
