A Dog’s Best Friend?
A robot called ORo can take care of a dog when its family isn’t home.
![A yellow Labrador chases a ball that is flying away from a small robot in a living room.](https://news.eb.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/robot0044-1500.jpg)
© Ogmen Robotics Inc. 2022-2024
Imagine a robot that can play fetch with your dog!
Dogs love company, so they can get lonely when left by themselves. That’s why Ogmen Robotics developed ORo, a robot that can care for a dog when its family isn’t at home.
Humans who are at work or running errands can watch and speak to their dog through ORo’s video screen. They can also pre-load ORo with treats and use an app on their phone to tell the robot to give one (or several) to their dog. ORo can even play fetch with a playful pooch, launching a ball so the dog will chase it. If the dog brings the ball back, ORo will throw it again…and again.
But the robot doesn’t just respond to human commands. It uses artificial intelligence (AI), a kind of technology that lets machines learn new information. ORo learns the layout of a home, so it can follow active pups all over the house without bumping into walls or furniture.
![A robot facing a dog and identifying its mood with an inset of a woman holding up a phone showing a live image of the dog.](https://news.eb.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/robot0045-1500.jpg)
© Ogmen Robotics Inc. 2022-2024
Ogmen Robotics says ORo the robot can learn about a dog’s mood.
That’s not all. Oro can also learn about a dog’s behavior patterns so it begins to recognize signs that the dog wants to play or feels anxious. It can respond to many of the dog’s needs, too, with a game of fetch or some soothing music.
Of course, there’s no substitute for a dog’s loving family. But Ogmen Robotics claims that ORo is the next-best thing—at least, until the humans return.