Technology continues to get crazier: a Kickstarter has launched for a new game console. For dogs.
Dubbed CleverPet, the device is aiming to educate and stimulate your furry friend by teaching them new tricks through a series of dynamic algorithms that rewards food when the dog learns something new. Think something like Brain Age for canines – dogs can work through puzzles like correctly answering questions like identifying the right color or repeating doggy DDR-like patterns by using their paw or nose, all with varying difficulty.
Inspired by the millions of high-energy dogs that get tend to get depressed or frustrated due to not being able to burn off their excess energy (leading to chew-up couches and the like), CleverPet seems like a great idea for high-energy pups, especially ones that are left at home while their owners are at work.
Theoretically, a stimulating device like this one would help keep your pet entertained when you can't play with them yourself, and the development team for the wi-fi enabled console includes a number of PhD candidates and neuroscientists, so the hope is that CleverPet would not lead to technological dependency issues like those that kids can develop with devices. Still, if it keeps happy-but-rambunctious dogs from being euthanized, it seems like this is a good merging of game tech and science.
As of this writing, CleverPet has already made $133,000, breaking its goal of $100,000 with 15 days to go. If you're interested in donating to the campaign, you can do so via the link below.
[Via Kickstarter]
