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It’s a well known fact that dog’s like to be entertained at all times, but there are always times when their owners need to leave them at home alone for a short period. While devices such as the camera-equipped Petzila have enabled owners to check up on their pet and feed them remotely, CleverPet is a gaming system that automatically rewards pets with treats for completing various tasks.

Currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, the console is placed on the floor and takes the form of a bowl for dispensed treats and three LED touchpads. Games come in different levels, with the first simply offering a treat for nothing. The second requires dogs to press any touchpad with their paw or nose in order to receive the treat. The third requires them to touch a particular touchpad, while advanced levels require increasingly complex interactions in order to get the treat. The console also uses voice commands to teach dogs new words such as ‘right’ and ‘left’, and owners can track their dog’s usage while they’re out through the CleverPet app. The device even enables an online multiplayer mode, which pits dogs against others in the CleverPet network and ranks them in a leaderboard.

Watch the video below to see CleverPet in action:

CleverPet acts as an educational tool for dogs, while also keeping them entertained and engaged when there’s no-one around to play with them. Backers can still pledge from USD 199 until 2 June to get their hands on the device. Are there other ways that technology can be used to keep animals entertained when their owners aren’t at home?

Kickstarter: www.kck.st/1ltEgaF