Most cats enjoy a good hunt, but your average cat toys pale in comparison to stalking real prey, as they're too predictable and don't react to an attack. The creators behind Mousr reckon their robotic cat toy is the most engaging cat toy ever made, as it reacts to a cat's attack and can intelligently avoid obstacles.
Mousr is, of course, shaped like a mouse, and moves around on small wheels powered by an electric motor. It sports an interchangeable fluffy tail, a hidden speaker that makes noises which attract your feline friend, and multicolored eyes which change color if Mousr is running low on batteries.
The "brains" of Mousr comprise a 360-degree infrared camera that helps it detect and react to movement and obstacles, and an inertial measurement unit that tells the toy when it has been captured. A Bluetooth connection will also enable the user to take control of Mousr directly via smartphone, and push updates to Mousr as the designers improve its artificial intelligence.
There's still a way to go for Mousr before it gets to the pet shop though, as the team who invented the device need to work on that all-important algorithm required to make Mousr run around intelligently, avoid obstacles, and react to cat attacks.
To things along, the developers have launched on Kickstarter, and if you'd like to take a punt on possibly making your cat's day, the cheapest pledge point for a unit, as of writing, is US$100. If all goes to plan, the estimated shipping date is October, 2015.
The video below features a fun pitch, including a mouse-related rap at the end.
Sources: Petronics, Kickstarter
