We’ve seen plenty of Robot dogs in the past, like Sony AIBO or the iCybie, which wasn’t as smart, but was still a lovable dog. A new robot named, Canine Home Intelligent Pet, or CHiP by a company called WowWee, aimed at taking things to the next level and it’s a cyber-pooch that is packed with sensors and features.
In the head of the device is an array of infrared sensors, giving the dog a complete 360-degree field of view that is used for things like finding a special ball and the dog’s charging bed. Not only that, but the device also has Bluetooth compatibility, enabling it to connect with a special smart band. Users can wear the band, which helps the dog keep track of them.
While most of CHiP simply looks like a robotic version of a dog, its paws are completely different, instead taking the form of Meccanum wheels. What this means is that the device can roll around in pretty much any direction that it wants. Paired with a pretty impressive speed, CHiP is able to do things most real dogs can do.
The robo-dog is also able to tell when there are children nearby, and when it senses them, it stays still and waits for the child to pet its head. According to WowWee, the toy will soon include better touch sensors, which will give the dog more ways to interact physically.
Chip is a one of a kind robot pet that doesn’t need to be walked, but will come when called.
CHiP can respond without its name if you let it tag your voice, but WowWee executive Davin Sufer told me the response is more consistent when you use its name. Either way, the robot is always listening. During my demo, the prototype CHiP appeared to pick up about 70% of what it heard.
Chip can recognize, obey, learn and wants to be your new best friend.
Simulates interactions with a real dog: feels hungry, needs attention, loves to play, and goes to sleep.
Smartband technology enables CHiP to uniquely recognize you, follow you, wait for you to come home, and remind you for mealtime or playtime.
Artificial intelligence and an adaptive personality to follow commands, fetch a ball, avoid obstacles, and learn new tricks. CHiP is equipped with an advanced locomotion system that allows for high speed, omnidirectional motion and extreme agility.