It’s all well and good for robotics manufacturers to create social roots for humans, right, but what about man’s best friend? We leave them all day to entertain themselves in most cases, while us humans go out to work, returning to give them all the attention they deserve.
But what if they want more during the day? Enter the MIA robot – a robotic companion designed to keep dogs and cats feeling loved during the day, while us humans earn our crust.
The Canadian company Kolony Robotics is behind the animal robot and it’s due to be released at the end of the year. It’s just finished funding on Kickstarter and has raised $46,000 CAD to bring its robot to life.
MIA is an interactive robot that moves through your house on its own (hopefully not spooking out your kitty or pooch as it searches for them). Even if your animal friend is petrified of the rather odd looking creature, they’ll soon be convinced it means good when it starts giving out treats.
All you need to do to get your animal’s new best friend working is tell it when you want it to play with your pet and it’ll start chasing it round the room, offering treats when your dog starts interacting and playing.
One of the big benefits of using MIA to keep you pet company isn’t just it gives a pooch something to do during the day, but it can also help to keep them fit too.
“Your pet will be healthier, have more fun, reduce its separation anxiety and even lose some weight,” Kolony Robotics explained on its Kickstarter page. “MIA is perfect for cats suffering from obesity, dogs that can’t be left alone at home and dogs with barking problems. But really, every pet likes MIA.”
