Petcube announces its gadget allowing to watch, talk and play with pets remotely, using the smartphone. It consists of a video camera, a movable laser pointer and a microcomputer, connected to the home wifi. The smartphone app displays a video stream from the camera, allowing user to talk to the pet and to move the laser dot – a favourite toy for many cats and dogs.
Petcube app also allows to share access with friends and family or even make device public for a limited time. Users can take photos or short videos of gaming sessions and share it on social media. At last, those who doesn’t own a pet or a Petcube, can play with pets from shelters and with publicly shared ones.
The device is still in development, but a prototype was demoed at the Seedcamp Week Berlin, allowing participants to play with founder’s chihuahua dog. The team is iterating with hardware prototype and working on an iOS app. Founders say they will launch on Kickstarter as soon as the product will be ready for the mass production, presumably late summer/early autumn. So far they are gathering user’s feedback and preorders.
The original inventor and CTO of the startup, Alex Neskin from Kyiv, Ukraine says he made the device to play with his own dog and only later thought of it as of business.
Petcube is targeting U.S. market and pet owners, who feel uncomfortable leaving their pets home alone. Current solutions, like remote video cameras, don’t give any interaction, and pet sitters are an expensive option. Research shows that a whopping 20% of American pet owners leave their TV on so their pets don’t feel lonely.
Visit petcube.com to get more information or to make a preorder.