Society is all about connections. We’re constantly connected to our mobile devices and other technologies that allow us to connect and interact with the world whenever we please. Technology like FaceTime and Skype have allowed us to stay in touch with our friends, family and colleagues who are hundreds or thousands of miles away. The Internet is full of “things” like Facetime that give us more access to the world and the world of technology more access to us. These “things” have changed our lives, but what if I told you there was a “thing” that has changed our pets’ lives.
We are all guilty of introducing our pets to cameras and have more than likely featured these friends on our social media outlets. Now it’s time that our pets get a turn with their own personal technology. Ladies and gentleman, I introduce you to PetChatz. PetChatz is like a FaceTime camera that is down to “pet eye seeing level” so that owners can contact their cat or dog while away at work, running errands or just to say hello, and there is a chance that you have seen this item promoted through social media. Check out the advertisement for this product here.
(Image courtesy of PetChatz: How it Workz)
The PetChatz device can be mounted onto a wall in your home and then the fun begins. Once it is set up an owner can make the call to their pet. The device rings through, and if the pet is trained correctly, they will run to the device to find their owner greeting them. Owners can also choose to dispense a treat that falls out of the bottom of the machine. (But wait, it gets better!) If the pet is trained proper, they can even press a button to call their owner!
Today, more than 2.3 million dogs are left alone for more than five hours each day. This statistic could be why there is a video chatting market for pets. Another fact that could have helped start this technology is that pet owners spend $60 billion a year on their pets. While PetChatz is a couple years old, more companies are coming out with technologies to help humans check on their animals. A similar product to the PetChatz technology is called PetBot. PetBot “has developed a monitor that can sense when a pet approaches and record a short video—which it then e-mails to the owner. Future versions of the device will be able to post the videos directly to a pet’s accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook” (Brennan, 2016). These technologies, or enchanted objects, are making pet owners’ lives easier by allowing them to know that they can check on their pet from anywhere.
With all of this being invented, it is hard to imagine what the technology industry will come up with next. Do you think this technology will last for years to come? How do you think it could be improved? Would you make this purchase?
Reference:
Brennan, W. (2016, January). The Future of Pets. Retrieved September 3, 2016, from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/01/the-future-of-pets/419133/
Emerging Media Movements 
Great post! I’m a huge pet lover and am guilty of spending too much money at times on my pets. I think these technologies are great not just for the pet parents but for the pets as well. I think the social media aspect of it is a great idea when you think about how many people posts photos and videos of their pets. I would definitely make this purchase.
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Thank you! It will be interesting how the IoT impacts the future of our pets’ lives. Will there soon be a collar that lets us know when our animals need fed, walked, taken outside, etc.? We shall see! 🙂
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