Pebby the rolling robot babysits your pets

Pebby has unveiled a smart robotic pet babysitting system. It allows people to monitor, interact with, and entertain their pets anytime, anywhere in the world.

It’s one more example of the increasingly crowded Internet of Things, where everyday objects become smart and connected.

Pebby is a combination of a smart collar and Wi-Fi controlled “ball” that follows pets around. It puts pet owners’ minds at ease as it tracks their furry loved ones’ activities and sends key insights about their behavior and health to the Pebby companion app.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company is starting a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, which has a funding goal of $50,000. Early backers can get a Pebby for $124, about 50 percent off retail.

The Pebby ball, which can be remotely controlled via the Pebby companion app (for iOS and Android), houses a 720p wide-angle/fisheye video camera and three lithium-ion batteries (providing 1.5 hours of playtime and 15 hours in standby mode).

Above: Pebby helps you stay in touch with your pet.

Image Credit: Pebby

It lets pet parents catch their pet’s cutest, most candid moments in real time (live footage streams to the Pebby app). It has a micro-controlled, dual independent suspension that enables the Pebby ball to remain stabilized at all times.

Made in a pet-friendly size (80 millimeters in diameter), Pebby features an interchangeable/multi-design inner casing, built-in light-emitting diode (LED) lights for night vision mode, and LED glow rims. It has built-in speakers and a laser toy that is safe for humans and pets.

Pebby features a smart collar that tracks a pet’s activities and directly sends insights about behavior and health to the Pebby app. The battery life of the collar ranges from 8 to 12 days, and the activity monitor can be charged with a USB connection or by placing it onto the included charging dock.

“We created a holistic pet-care system that delivers complete peace of mind to pet owners,” said Hansen Goh, founder and CEO of Pebby, in a statement. “Pebby allows pet owners to engage with their pets remotely, capturing candid images and monitoring their health and wellness, while also being in control and having a product that keeps their pets entertained while home.”

Users can set Pebby on auto play mode while they watch their pets play, or they can take charge remotely and indulge in playtime with their pet. With the app, users can change LED colors and customize settings, including maximum speed and linear/angular acceleration. Users can receive “shake” and “bark”  alerts on their smartphones when their pet starts playing with Pebby, or upon detecting barking sounds.

The Pebby system comes with a wireless charging dock and a backup USB charging port, as well as featuring auto-follow and auto-repel capabilities.