Pets

Artificially-intelligent pet bowl is made to prevent food-theft

Artificially-intelligent pet bowl is made to prevent food-theft
It is claimed that Mookkie also helps food remain fresh for longer
It is claimed that Mookkie also helps food remain fresh for longer
View 2 Images
It is claimed that Mookkie also helps food remain fresh for longer
1/2
It is claimed that Mookkie also helps food remain fresh for longer
Mookkie features a removable magnetically-mounted bowl, along with a front-facing wide-angle camera
2/2
Mookkie features a removable magnetically-mounted bowl, along with a front-facing wide-angle camera

If you own multiple dogs and/or cats, then you may be familiar with the problem of one animal "stealing" food from another's bowl. Italian artificial intelligence firm Volta has set out to keep that from happening, with its pet-recognizing Mookkie.

Currently being showcased at CES 2019, Mookkie features a removable magnetically-mounted bowl, along with a front-facing wide-angle camera. As long as the device's designated canine/feline user isn't nearby, a transparent polycarbonate cover blocks access to any food that's in the bowl.

Once the animal approaches the device, however, an integrated microprocessor utilizes a deep neural network to authenticate their identity via facial recognition. If it determines that they're the "right" dog or cat, the bowl cover is temporarily drawn back, allowing them to eat – it's not unlike the face-unlock feature now available on some smartphones.

Mookkie features a removable magnetically-mounted bowl, along with a front-facing wide-angle camera
Mookkie features a removable magnetically-mounted bowl, along with a front-facing wide-angle camera

Utilizing a smartphone app, pet-owners can receive notifications (including videos) when the animal has eaten, along with alerts that the bowl is empty – Mookkie can see down into the bowl, and is able to visually determine when all the food is gone. As an added bonus, the device also has a built-in night light, to help pets find their bowl in the dark.

Volta plans on introducing Mookkie to the market this September, priced at US$189.

Source: Mookkie

4 comments
4 comments
myale
You can already buy bowls that work with the pets microchip which are half the price of this, guess if someone doesn't use chip implantation this would be useful, but ill stick with the cheaper technology.
piperTom
Next up: a bird feeder that recognizes desirable species, feeding colorful song birds while refusing starlings and squirrels. I'd buy that.
Daishi
@piperTom that's actually not a bad idea outside of the cases where multiple birds are present and food is dispensed anyway. Less colorful birds could use being friends with colorful birds as a means to claim additional authority.
Lamar Havard
After about 25 years of having OUTDOOR cats, they’re more like a loin pride, as in ‘survival of the fittest’. They will chase DOGS out of the yard...so I, nor they, would have any use for such frivolity. What’s next, VEGAN or KETO diets for pets?!