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Toymaker Hasbro thinks it has found the solution to hassle-free pet ownership – a robotic dog that responds to touch and even its owner’s voice.
The firm has created a puppy as part of its Joy For All range – which already includes a robotic cat – that has realistic fur and houses what Hasbro calls its BarkBark technology. This enables the puppy to recognise human touch as well as voices.
Called Companion Pets, the toys are aimed at elderly users who may want companionship but without the stress and strain of caring for a dog. As Hasbro itself says, while the Companion Pets need and respond to attention, they “won’t chew your slipper”.
As for the tech inside the Golden Pup, the sensors built into it mean that it can respond to touch and motion, while a vibration engine mimics a real heartbeat you can feel when you stroke the puppy’s back.
Hasbro says if you stroke the pup’s cheek it will also nuzzle your hand, and not interacting with it for a few minutes will see it go to sleep.
When owners speak to the pup it will turn its head towards them and respond with “puppy-like noises”.
The cat version of Companion Pets was launched last year and follows a study in Sweden that saw cuddly cat toys used to soothe dementia sufferers. The JustoCat was found to be a useful tool for relaxation as well as encouraging and stimulating communication, with researchers claiming it even helped patients to recall memories of their own cats in the process.
